Chhattisgarh cabinet expansion: Nine BJP MLAs sworn in as ministers

Raipur, Dec 22 (PTI) Nine ministers were on Friday inducted into the Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai-led cabinet in Chhattisgarh, taking its strength to 12.

Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan administered oath of office and secrecy to nine MLAs, including a woman lawmaker, during a function held here at Raj Bhavan.

Two deputy chief ministers Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma had earlier taken oath on December 13 when Sai was sworn in as the chief minister.

The lawmakers who took oath on Friday include eight-term MLA Brijmohan Agrawal, senior party leaders and former ministers Ramvichar Netam, Kedar Kashyap and Dayaldas Baghel.

IAS-turned-politician OP Choudhary, Tank Ram Verma and Laxmi Rajwade, all first-time MLAs, and second-time legislators Shyam Bihari Jaiswal and Lakhanlal Dewangan have also been appointed as ministers.

CM Sai, his predecessor Bhupesh Baghel and assembly speaker Raman Singh were present on the occasion.

After this expansion, the cabinet has six members belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC), three from the Scheduled Tribes, one from the Scheduled Caste and two from the general category. Rajwade is the only woman member in the cabinet.

The portfolios of the ministers are yet to be announced.

The Chhattisgarh cabinet can have 13 ministers at most, including the chief minister. The state has 90 assembly seats.

The BJP came back to power in the state by ousting the Congress in the assembly polls held on November 7 and 17, whose results were declared on December 3.

The BJP won 54 seats, while the Congress bagged only 35, down from the 68 seats it had won in the 2018 polls.