Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Jaipur, The long overdue cabinet expansion in Rajasthan took place today, with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje inducting 14 ministers.
Four of the ministers were given cabinet rank while six were sworn in as ministers of state (independent charge).
Governor Kalyan Singh administered oath to the new ministers, among whom were three women – Kiran Maheshwari, Krishnendra Kaur Deepa, an erstwhile royal from Bharatpur, and Anita Bhadel.
With this, the number in the cabinet is up to 24 – Ms Raje was managing with only 12 ministers and had to handle 47 portfolios herself.
With the exit of Sanwar Lal Jat, the figure would have been down to 11, triggering a constitutional crisis since the number would have fallen below minimum, which is 12.
Jat, a former MLA and minister, won the Lok Sabha election and could only continue in the cabinet for six months. His departure is due at the end of this month.
The expansion, which was to take place after the Lok Sabha polls, reportedly got delayed as the Central leadership was busy with the elections in Maharashtra and Harayana and Ms Raje did not get a green signal.
As per the BJP’s strength in the state assembly – 160 seats out of 200 – Ms Raje can have up to 30 ministers.
