Hooda inducts Bhajan Lal's son in new Cabinet
Bhajan Lal attended the ceremony with his entire family, including his wife Jasma Devi and MP son Kuldeep Bishnoi.
In the first expansion of his ministerial council, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday inducted 10 Cabinet ministers including PCC president Bhajan Lal's son Chander Mohan, PCC working chief Randeep Singh Surjewala and leading industrialist OP Jindal.
Among others who took oath as Cabinet ministers from Governor AR Kidwai were Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, former PCC chief Birender Singh, Kartar Devi, Lachhman Dass Arora, Phool Chand Mullana, Surender Singh and Vinod Sharma.
Among the castes that found representation in Hooda's Cabinet were Yadavs, Dalits, Brahmins, Jats, Punjabis, Bishnois and Banyas.
Prominent among those who failed to find berth in the Cabinet were three time Chief Minister Bhajan Lal's loyalist and MLA from Jind Mange Ram Gupta and MLA from Mewla Meharajpur Mahendra Pratap Singh.
Other than his son Chander Mohan, a four-time MLA from Kalka, only one more loyalist of PCC chief Bhajan Lal found berth in the Cabinet of Hooda who had piped Lal for the top post. He is Phool Chand Mullana, an MLA from Mullana.
Bhajan Lal attended the ceremony with his entire family, including his wife Jasma Devi and MP son Kuldeep Bishnoi.
Chander Mohan said he was never a claimant for the post of Deputy Chief Minister. "This was a media creation," he added.
He, however, expressed satisfaction that "all sections of society are given representation in the ministry."
In choosing his Cabinet ministers, Hooda, who was sworn in as Chief Minister less than a week ago, has given weightage to Ambala, Rohtak, Sirsa, Rewari Jind, Panchkula, Bhiwani and Hisar districts of the state.
Parrying a question on possibility of having a deputy chief minister, Hooda said 10 Cabinet rank ministers took the oath on Thursday and did not rule out the possibility of appointing parliamentary secretaries. "If need be, parliamentary secretaries would be appointed," he said.
He said portfolios of the ministers would be allocated soon.
