CHANDIGARH, DECEMBER 28: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is unlikely to reshuffle the portfolios of his ministers while going in for the cabinet expansion this week end.The much awaited cabinet expansion is tentatively scheduled for December 31, though official circles believe there could be a delay due to the seven-day state mourning following the death of former President S D Sharma.Badal had said he would expand his cabinet within days of the executive committee annual election of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on November 10 last but it has been getting delayed.The cabinet expansion was initially to be undertaken to fill up the seven vacancies, five of which were caused following the resignation by the ministers associated with former SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Jagir Kaur resigned from the cabinet following her appointment as the SGPC president while one minister died.Though all the seven vacancies are from the Akali Dal quota, alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party has staked its claim on the basis of proportional representation. Interestingly, the 10 MLAs associated with Tohra, though continuing as members of the mainstream Akali Dal, are not being considered to be part of the party while deciding this proportional representation. The Akali Dal Legislature Party has 73 members, excluding Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Nirmal Singh Kahlon who could not be allotted the party symbol and is technically independent but includes 10 MLAs who were issued show cause notices for indulging in anti-party activity. The BJP has 18 MLAs. Sources close to Badal maintain the names of those to be inducted as ministers were yet to be finalised. The BJP has also not recommended any names as yet.Sources also denied there was any pressure from BJP for allotment of important portfolios like Industries and Excise and Taxation to the ministers from the party.The Chief Minister would not undertake any major reshuffle of portfolios as ``it would create problems'', said the sources.
