Eye on Cabinet slots, aspirants reach Delhi

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 2

The return of Haryana’s party in charge and newly elevated BJP general secretary Anil Jain from the US has kindled hopes among party MLAs about a Cabinet expansion.

Jain, who was elevated as general secretary of the party while he was abroad returned to a resounding reception with at least 15 BJP MLAs from Haryana marking a show of strength to get noticed.

Cabinet expansion has been due in Haryana for some time but the issue was clubbed with the appointment of chairmen of boards and corporations.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has expressed no reservations over expansion but put his foot down last month over the appointment of members from a pruned list as chairmen of boards and corporations. Party insiders still maintain that the expansion in the Cabinet would take place along with the appointments to boards and corporations.

Senior party leaders who participated in the “welcome reception” said that roads leading from Indira Gandhi International Airport to the BJP headquarters witnessed the bursting of crackers and the beating of drums.

A BJP candidate who lost from Samalkha reportedly brought in his supporters in over 100 vehicles. Similarly, another leader from Ellenabad, too, made his presence felt through supporters shouting slogans in his favour and congratulating Jain.

Jain and Kailash Vijayvargiya have both been appointed BJP general secretaries for their contribution towards the BJP’s success in forming the government in Haryana. Dr Jain is BJP’s party in-charge for Haryana and Vijayvargiya was the party’s Haryana election in charge.

Haryana has 47 MLAs in the current Vidhan Sabha. But surprisingly none of the existing minister was present to welcome Jain. Only those who aspired to gain some political position were in attendance.

Besides state BJP president Subhash Barala, those who queued up to welcome Jain included Sonepat MP Ramesh Kashyap, at least 15 MLAs besides several other office bearers.

The MLAs who were seen warming up to Jain included Krishan Lal (Israna), Subhash Sudha (Thanasar), Harvinder Kalyan (Gharaunda), Bhagwan Dass kabirpanthi (Nilokheri), manish Grover (Rohtak), Prem Lata (Uchana Kalan), Nayab Singh (Nraingarh), Mahipal Dhanda (Panipat-Rural),Ghanshayam Saraf (Bhiwani), Vipin Goel (Faridabad), Mool Chand Sharma (Ballabgarh), Randhir Singh (Rewari), Tejpal Tawar (Sohna), Pawan saini (Ladwa) and Ghanshayam Dass (Yamunanagar).