The Cabinet expansion of the Himachal Pradesh’s government will take place today and three ministers are likely to be inducted at a simple ceremony restricted for 50 persons at Raj Bhawan. The event will be live telecast across the state.
The talk about the impending Cabinet expansion gained strength as Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur called on the Governor on Wednesday. Sources told the media that the Chief Minister had discussed the ministers’ induction with Dattatreya. The oath-taking ceremony would take place today.
Sources also told the media that preparations have been made at Raj Bhawan to accommodate 50 persons for the ceremony while three rooms have been readied by the secretariat administration for the new ministers.
The frontrunners include Paonta Sahib legislator Sukh Ram Chaudhary, who is a three-time MLA and hails from the OBC community. Moreover, Sirmaur district still remains unrepresented in the government. Nurpur MLA Rakesh Pathania is also likely to be inducted, as Krishan Kapoor and Vipin Parmar both belong to Kangra and it is legitimate that the district gets at least one seat in the ministry.
The name of Deputy Speaker Hans Raj is also doing the rounds for a ministerial berth. If he finds a berth in the Cabinet, the contenders for the post of Deputy Speaker include Vikram Jaryal, Bhattiyat MLA from Chamba, Hamirpur MLA Narinder Thakur and Kamlesh Kumari, Bhoranj MLA in Hamirpur.