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Why Hemant Soren has failed to expand his cabinet
The coalition government in Jharkhand led by Hemant Soren has come under fire from the opposition over delay in cabinet expansion and distribution of portfolios.
The much-awaited expansion of the Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren’s cabinet on Friday has been postponed.
Hours after requesting Governor Draupadi Murmu to conduct swearing-in of his cabinet colleagues on Friday, chief minister Hemant Soren on Thursday evening met the former for the second time in a day and urged her to postpone the event.
Soren met the Governor on Thursday morning before leaving for Burugulikera village in Chibasa to meet the family of seven tribals killed by fellow villagers. After his return to Ranchi, he again went to see the Governor.
Speaking to reporters after meeting, Soren said, “On Thursday morning I had requested her to conduct the swearing-in ceremony. It was fixed for 1pm on Friday. But after returning from Chaibasa, I shared the details of the incident. I also told the Governor that holding an event for cabinet expansion would not be appropriate soon after this incident and hence postpone it for a later date.”
The chief minister did not specify what would be next date for the cabinet expansion. However, sources said it could be done on January 28.
The coalition government led by Soren has come under fire from the opposition over delay in cabinet expansion and distribution of portfolios.
Soren took oath as CM on December 29 along with three ministers — two from Congress and one from RJD. He, however, did not distribute portfolio to any of them, except for Congress Legislature Party leader Alamgir Alam, who was chosen as the parliamentary affairs minister. It was done in view of the inaugural assembly session for oath of legislators.
At present, the size of the council of ministers in the Soren government is four. Eight more ministers could thus be accommodated, as per constitutional provision which prescribes that the total number of ministers, including the CM, in the council of ministers shall not exceed 15% of the total number of assembly members. Jharkhand assembly has 81 elected members.
Rameshwar Oraon, minister and Congress state president, said the state unit still is to be informed about who are the ministerial candidates from Congress. “The AICC will pick up the candidates and inform us,” Oraon said, adding, he was yet to receivetl the official information about the oath-taking ceremony.
Sources said the JMM and the Congress leadership are still to finalise the number of berths they would share. Besides its two legislators having sworn in as ministers along with CM, the Congress wants three more berths. But the chief minister is keen on giving only two more. Soren has proposed a formula of one berth for every four party legislators. JMM has 30 legislators while Congress has 16.
The opposition BJP has been targeting the government for having failed to expand cabinet even after month of government formation.
Some of the developments in the state----murder of seven tribals by alleged Pathalgadi supporters and two incidents of communal flare up in Giridih and Lohardaga towns over CAA----in the past few days have only given fresh ammunition to the BJP.
“Chiabasa incident is just an excuse. The fact is that the chief minister is under extreme pressure from the Congress. We can already see this government going the Madhu Koda way. CM has spent around 15 days in past one month making rounds of Delhi durbar,” said Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo.
The BJP leader said lack of governance has started showing its impact.
“The Chaibasa killings is a national shame. Lohardaga is under curfew. There is no government, and hence there is no accountability,” he added.
