Haryana Cabinet Expansion Within Next 2 Days: Dushyant Chautala

The polls in Haryana were held on 21 October and results declared on 24 October.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

The first expansion of the Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana Cabinet will take place within the next two days, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said on Tuesday, 12 November.

The Jannayak Janta Party leader discussed the cabinet expansion with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

There was also a discussion on allotment of departments with the chief minister, Chautala said.

On how many independent MLAs will be made ministers, he said the two coalition partners will decide this.

Asked when will the cabinet expansion take place, the deputy chief minister said, "It will take place in the next 48 hours."

Earlier, the cabinet expansion was expected on Tuesday, 12 November but Maharashtra imbroglio was one of the factor that delayed the induction of ministers, sources said.

On being asked whether two more MLAs from the JJP will get the cabinet berth, Chautala said, "This is an internal matter of our party."

Asked if there had been any talk with the chief minister about the portfolios which the ministers from the JJP camp will get, Chautala answered in the affirmative.

Ahead of the cabinet expansion, five Independent MLAs -- Nayan Pal Rawat, Sombir Sangwan, Randhir Singh Gollen, Dharampal Gonder and Balraj Kundu -- held a meeting in Delhi.

All the seven Independent MLAs, including Ranjit Singh Chautala who was not present at the meet in Delhi, are supporting the present Khattar-led dispensation.

Majority of the Independent MLAs who won were aspirants for a BJP ticket before the elections, but fought as independents.

"We have won as independents, but we are pro-BJP," Rawat said.

He said Independent MLAs definitely aspire that some of them be accommodated in the cabinet expansion, but there's no greed for the berth or any portfolio.

"Expansion of the cabinet is the prerogative of the chief minister," he said while replying to a question.

Rawat also assured full support of the independents to the BJP-JJP combine in Haryana, saying "the government will run smoothly for five years".

Khattar took oath as the chief minister for the second time on 27 October and Chautala, great grandson of former deputy prime minister, late Devi Lal, was sworn-in as his deputy as the BJP formed the government with the help of the JJP in Haryana. Seven Independents are also supporting the government.

The polls in Haryana were held on 21 October and results declared on 24 October.

The BJP had sealed a deal with the Chautala-led JJP to form the government in Haryana after the saffron party fell short of six seats from the majority mark in the assembly election.

In the 90-member assembly, the BJP had won 40, JJP 10, Congress 31, INLD and the Haryana Lokhit Party one each, while seven independents also won.

The chief minister recently announced to set up a panel to monitor the implementation of the Common Minimum Programme of the BJP and the JJP. Both the coalition partners have said that they will provide a stable government in Haryana.