Shivraj cabinet expansion: Small size, big trouble

Nearly a month after he took the oath of chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday inducted five ministers including two Jyotiraditya Scindia supporters in his cabinet, leaving other aspirants high and dry.

Scindia, whose dramatic defection from the Congress to the BJP with 19 MLAs last month led to the fall of the Kamal Nath government, was reportedly keen on a full-fledged cabinet expansion. However, the BJP high command rejected his demand, allowing only a small cabinet to assist the chief minister in fighting the growing COVID-19 menace in the state.

Governor Lalji Tandon administered the oath of office and secrecy to the five ministers in a short function at Raj Bhawan where the signs of social distancing due to the pandemic were unmistakable.

Interestingly, none of the five faces inducted in the cabinet is considered close chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Tulsiram silawat and Govind Singh are Scindia supporters, who were ministers in the Kamal Nath government as well.

Narottam Mishra, a close aide of Amit Shah, was a key player in the game for toppling the Kamal Nath government. Kamal Patel, a former minister, had been marginalised by Shivraj Singh in the party after he had tried to flex political muscle. Ms Meena Singh, another former minister, is apparently chosen by the party high command because she is a tribal.

Given strength of the Madhya Pradesh house, the chief minister may induct 29 more ministers. But till that happens, he is likely to have hard time placating the ministerial aspirants. In view of the massive challenges posed by the pandemic, next cabinet expansion is unlikely any time soon.

More than Shivraj Singh, it is Jyotiraditya Scindia who faces daunting challenge of soothing ruffled feathers of the supporters who staked their political career for him but have been denied reward in the shape of ministerial berths.

The BJP will have to contend with anger of four other rebel Congress MLAs, who had joined the Scindia supporters in resigning from the party on assurance of being made ministers in the next government.