Munda rewards Kamlesh with ministry

Kamlesh Singh, the NCP MLA whose absence in the Assembly had helped Chief Minister Arjun Munda win the vote of confidence, was today rewarde...

Kamlesh Singh, the NCP MLA whose absence in the Assembly had helped Chief Minister Arjun Munda win the vote of confidence, was today rewarded with a ministerial berth along with four others.

But although the Jharkhand CM had picked his ministers in consultation with the party top brass and allies, most BJP and JD-U MLAs who did not find berths looked disappointed. They shouted slogans inside the Raj Bhawan even as Governor Syed Sibtey Razi administered the oath of secrecy to the five ministers.

Those sworn in today included Raghuvar Das and Pradeep Yadav (both BJP), Radhakrishna Kishore and Ramesh Singh Munda (both JD-U), raising the strength of Munda’s ministry to 11, one short of the constitutional limit of 12. Kamlesh Singh, who has switched from the NCP to BJP, is yet to take oath as a legislator.

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The inclusion of the two JD-U MLAs has left the other three MLAs of the party, including Jaleshwar Mahato, enraged. They alleged that three of the ministers inducted today were novices. The CM had seven Independent MLAs on board when he took the oath on March 12.

Of the two BJP MLAs, who were sworn in today, Raghuvar Das is the party’s state unit president and a close aide of Munda. Yadav, on the other hand, is close to former chief minister Babulal Marandi.

Asked why he has left a berth vacant, Munda said: ‘‘Eleven is a lucky number. We preferred to go for it.’’ He raised many eyebrows by leaving out Marandi loyalist and former minister Ravindra Rai in today’s cabinet expansion.

‘‘Raghuvar was already the party chief. There was no justification for inducting him and dropping Rai,’’ said a BJP leader.

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Asked if he was satisfied with the Cabinet expansion, former Union minister Karia Munda revealed that the party high command had asked him if he was willing to be the CM. ‘‘I had said if the party takes the decision, I would definitely take up the responsibility. What more could I have said? I could not have hurled abuses. Now, I think a ritual was performed by consulting me.’’

With both Babulal Marandi and Karia Munda not happy with the team, the message is clear for the new CM: He has to keep his seven Independent MLAs in good humour.