Cabinet expansion in HP deferred until after poll

The Congress high command has deferred expansion of the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet until after the Assembly elections slated for December 1. The decision follows a meeting between Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Tuesday night.

Sources close to Virbhadra told The Indian Express that the matter came up for discussion at the one-to-one meeting between the two. Sonia is learnt to have asked Virbhadra to refrain from adding any more members to the Cabinet unless decided otherwise. ‘‘Now the expansion would take place in December or even later,’’ sources added.

According to observers, the decision seems to have been dictated by the feeling that any action that could lead to factionalism should be avoided. Likings and dislikings of leaders of factions, led by Virbhadra Singh and Power Minister and PCC chief Vidya Stokes, would lead to friction, it was felt.

Virbhadra confirmed that elections being the focus, Cabinet expansion would be taken up later.