Bhopal: After lengthy and calculated deliberations, newly-appointed Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath is set to form his cabinet by inducting 25 ministers into it on Tuesday.
The swearing in ceremony will take place at Raj Bhawan at 3pm.
Nath put in plenty of thought into the cabinet formation, holding marathon meetings first in Bhopal and later camping in New Delhi. He returned with the list of 25 names on late Monday night after securing a nod from Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
Ending the speculations, the newly-elected CM announced that BSP won’t be part of the new cabinet. The BSP had on Monday specified that it was preparing for the Lok Sabha polls on all 29 seats, hinting at going solo in Madhya Pradesh.
At least two independent are expected to be inducted into the cabinet. Four independents – all Congress rebels – have also extended support to the Congress government in MP.
In Delhi, Nath and Gandhi held discussions with all senior leaders, including Jyotiraidtya Scindia, who was the frontrunner for the CM post. The Scindia camp is also expected to have its share in cabinet, especially after the Scindia scion steered the party to impressive results in Gwalior-Chambal region.
Sources told News 18 that some Digvijay Singh loyalists are also likely to be inducted into the cabinet. However, the party has made it clear that no first-time MLA will be assigned a ministerial berth. Head of Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti, Dr Hirala Alawa, who won on a Congress ticket, has warned that denying him a ministerial berth would prove a blunder for the Congress as his played a crucial role in government formation.
With eyes on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress is expected to keep a firm balance of regional and caste equations in the cabinet.