Chhattisgarh Cabinet Expands: Nine New Ministers Sworn In

In a notable development, nine ministers were officially sworn into Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's cabinet in Chhattisgarh on Friday, bringing the total cabinet strength to 12. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan during a ceremony at Raj Bhavan. The newly inducted ministers include the experienced eight-term MLA Brijmohan Agrawal, former ministers Ramvichar Netam, Kedar Kashyap, and Dayaldas Baghel, as well as first-time MLAs IAS-turned-politician OP Choudhary, Tank Ram Verma, Laxmi Rajwade, Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, and Lakhanlal Dewangan.

Present at the occasion were Chief Minister Sai, his predecessor Bhupesh Baghel, and Assembly Speaker Raman Singh. Notably, Deputy Chief Ministers Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma had taken oath earlier on December 13 when Chief Minister Sai assumed office.

The expanded cabinet now encompasses representatives from diverse backgrounds, with six members from Other Backward Classes (OBC), three from the Scheduled Tribes, one from the Scheduled Caste, and two from the general category. Laxmi Rajwade is the sole woman member in the cabinet.

As of now, the specific portfolios assigned to the newly appointed ministers have not been announced. It is important to note that the Chhattisgarh cabinet can accommodate a maximum of 13 ministers, including the chief minister, given the state's 90 assembly seats.

The recent political landscape in Chhattisgarh saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reclaim power in the state, winning 54 seats in the assembly polls held on November 7 and 17. The election results were declared on December 3, with the Congress securing 35 seats, down from the 68 seats it had won in the 2018 polls.