Chautala expands ministry; inducts 13

CHANDIGARH, JULY 29: The five-day-old Om Parkash Chautala Ministry in Haryana was expanded on Thursday with the induction of seven Cabine...

CHANDIGARH, JULY 29: The five-day-old Om Parkash Chautala Ministry in Haryana was expanded on Thursday with the induction of seven Cabinet ministers and six Ministers of State, raising the strength of the ministry to 14.

Governor Mahabir Prasad administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at an impressive swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan here.

Sampt Singh, Jagan Nath, Dhirpal Singh, Narbir Singh, Brij Mohan Singla, Krishna Gahlawat and Kartar Singh Badhana were sworn in as Cabinet ministers, while Jaswant Singh Bawal, Bhim Sen Mehta, Raj Kumar Saini, Akram Khan, Kailash Chand Sharma and Om Parkash Jain took oath as Minisers of State.

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Of the seven Cabinet ministers, Sampat Singh and Dhirpal Singh belong to the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the remaining five to the breakaway Haryana Vikas Party (Democratic).

Of the six Ministers of State, Bawal and Saini belong to the HVP (D), while Bhim Sein Mehta, Akram Khan and Kailash Chand Sharma and Om Parkash Jain are IndependentLegislators.

Talking to newsmen after the swearing-in ceremony, Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala said that his INLD and the HVP (D) would contest the coming Lok Sabha elections under the National Democratic Alliance agenda.

Candidates belonging to the INLD and its supporting parties would, however, contest these elections on their own election symbols.