Cabinet swearing in sets stage for BJP's organisational changes

The swearing-in ceremony of union council of ministers on Thursday has set the stage for organisational changes in BJP as the party chief Amit Shah has now become a cabinet minister.

The party has also given greater representation to Haryana and Maharashtra, two states which will go to the polls in a few months. There are two ministers from Haryana and seven from Maharashtra.

BJP, usually, follows "one person one post" norm and it will have to find suitable replacement for Shah, who has been its most successful party chief. Former Union Minister J.P. Nadda is likely to replace him.

The party is likely to herald changes in some other states including Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh party chief Mahendra Nath Pandey took oath as a cabinet minister on Thursday as did Bihar party chief Nityanand Rai. The party will find replacements for the two leaders.

While former Union Minister Manoj Sinha, who lost in Ghazipur, could be given an organisational responsibilty in Uttar Pradesh, Ram Kirpal Yadav could be given similar role in Bihar.

Former Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who was not re-inducted, could be made chief of the party unit in Rajasthan.

In Harayana, Krishan Pal has been reinducted in the council of ministers while Rattan Lal Kataria, who belongs to the Dalit community has also been given a berth. Both of them are ministers of state.

From Maharashtra, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal and Prakash Javadekar of BJP are in the cabinet while Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre and Danve Raosaheb Dadarao have been inducted as ministers of state. Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant has been inducted as cabinet minister while RPI-A leader Ramdas Athawale has again been re-inducted as minister of state.

--IANS

bns-ps/vin