IEP Dehradun September 28
The second visit to the national Capital by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in less than a week has sparked off speculation on a major reshuffle in the Uttarakhand cabinet. To add further momentum to the rumours making rounds in the political circles, the Vidhan Sabha speaker Ritu Khanduri also left for Delhi. However, her visit is said to be a personal one and is as per her earlier schedule.
Officially the CM would meet some Union ministers during his visit and would discuss issues related to the State in these meetings. However the political circles are abuzz with talk that a major reshuffle in the cabinet is on the cards in Uttarakhand and the CM would consult the party high command of the BJP on this issue. It is speculated that CM Dhami could expand and reshuffle his cabinet during the ongoing Navratri season which is considered auspicious.
The results of the three-tier Panchayat election in Haridwar would be declared on September 28 and the cabinet reshuffle can be done after this date. Incidentally, on his birthday, Dhami had hinted at the cabinet reshuffle by stating that everything happens on time in BJP and its number (cabinet) would come after the Panchayat election in Haridwar and organisational elections of the party. It is learnt that apart from filling three vacant berths of his cabinet, the CM on the insistence of party high command can drop a couple of ministers from his cabinet. The recent decision to remove 288 employees from Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha by speaker Ritu Khanduri on the recommendation of a threemember committee which found gross irregularities in these appointments has added to the worries of the Finance minister Prem Chand Agarwal.
A total of 78 such appointments were made during the tenure of Agarwal as the Assembly speaker and he had consistently defended his decision by claiming that rules were followed in these appointments. Experts point out that Agarwal could lose his place in the cabinet on the insistence of the party high command. Apart from Agarwal, one minister who is not keeping a good health could also be removed from the cabinet.
There are a host of aspirants for a place in the Dhami cabinet and the recent turn of events has made them hopeful. The names of Vikasnagar MLA Munna Singh Chauhan, former BJP State president Madan Kaushik, Dharmpur MLA Vinod Chamoli, Lansdowne MLA Dilip Rawat, Bhimtal MLA Ram Singh Kaida and BHEL Ranipur MLA Adesh Chauhan are some of the names which are making rounds as possible new faces in the Dhami cabinet.
