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Doing it for polls to distract people: Kharge on increased representation of SC, OBC communities in new cabinet
Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge added that this is not being done for the welfare of communities but out of compulsion.
Congress MP and leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new cabinet. On the news of record induction of members from the OBC and the Scheduled Caste communities, Kharge said the Centre is doing it for polls and to distract people. He added that this is not being done for the welfare of communities but out of compulsion, according to news agency ANI.
"Several Dalits, backward caste members are being made ministers. They are doing it from the point of polls. This is being done to distract people. They are not doing this for the welfare of communities but because of their compulsion," ANI quoted Kharge as saying.
HT has learned that the new council of ministers is expected to see greater representation from the SC, ST, OBC communities.
The cabinet expansion and reshuffle of the Union council of ministers, the first in the second term of PM Modi, is scheduled to take place on Wednesday evening. The council of ministers may see 15 to 20 members from the SC and OBC communities, "and members from non-dominant smaller communities are also likely to find a place", according to people aware of the developments, reported ANI.
The new council of ministers is also likely to see greater representation of women and of sub-regions of states with an idea to empower the smallest regions of the country, ANI reported citing the people aware of the developments.
At least 43 new ministers are reported to be sworn in on Wednesday evening in the new Union cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Delhi's Meenakshi Lekhi, Anurag Thakur, Ajay Bhatt, Anupriya Patel among others will take oath this evening, according to a list released by the news agency.
Several ministers stepped down from their offices ahead of the cabinet rejig. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan was one of them. Other Union ministers resigning from their posts included Babul Supriyo, Santosh Gangwar, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Sadananda Gowda etc.
