MP cabinet expansion likely today amid growing pressure, Covid-19 crisis

The cabinet has not been expanded since Shivraj Singh Chouhan took oath as chief minister for the fourth time on March 23, after his predecessor Kamal Nath of the Congress stepped down

The much-awaited expansion of the single-member Madhya Pradesh cabinet under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan might take place on Tuesday, sources said on Monday.

"The Cabinet expansion will take place tomorrow (Tuesday) around noon," official sources said, adding that the size of the ministry is likely to be kept small. The exact number of probable inductees is not known yet.

The cabinet has not been expanded since Chouhan took oath as chief minister for the fourth time on March 23, after his predecessor Kamal Nath of the Congress stepped down. However, Chouhan could not get time to set up the council of ministers amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

"Since March 23, Chouhan has served as the lone member of Cabinet for the 28 days, which is a record of sorts in the country," BJP sources said.

Opposition Congress has been slamming Chouhan and the BJP over absence of council of ministers at a time when the state is battling surge in COVID-19 cases.

For BJP, it will be a tightrope walk to accommodate six loyalists of former Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia who had joined the BJP. All six were ministers in the erstwhile Kamal Nath government. It is likely that only two-three leadersfrom the Scindia camp might be taken on board by Chouhan, sources said, adding that the name of former Health minister Tulsi Silavat is doing rounds.

Sources in the BJP said caste and gender equations will be balanced in the new team.

The new likely ministers will be -- Narottam Mishra (Brahmin), Tulsiram Silawat (Scheduled Caste), Govind Singh Rajput (Thakur), Meena Singh (Scheduled Tribe) and Kamal Patel (OBC).

Scindia was insisting on at least six persons to be included from among the 22 who joined the BJP last month.

Besides the then six ministers, 16 other MLAs of the Congress had also resigned from the party, which eventually culminated into the collapse of Nath government.

Kapil Sibal, Vivek Tankha write to President alleging unconstitutional functioning of Madhya Pradesh govt

Senior lawyers and Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and Vivek Tankha have written to President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, alleging 'undemocratic and unconstitutional functioning in Madhya Pradesh, not of a government, but of a one-man show.'

"Indore today is the epicenter of the spread of the virus hosting 80 per cent of Coronavirus infections. Bhopal earlier witnessed the collapse of the health department with the hierarchy of its officers infected. In the absence of a Health Minister, the infected personnel continued to discharge their duties. To halt the spread of the virus we need to test, test, and test. That is not happening because of the collapse of the administrative structure of the health department. Today the department in Bhopal is completely dysfunctional," the letter read.

"We wish to bring to your attention Article 163 of the Constitution which mandates a Council of Ministers to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions. The Governor cannot act without the advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister. Additionally, the proviso to Article 164(A) provides for the minimum strength of the Council of Ministers to be not less than twelve including the Chief Minister. Here the Council is missing, only the head exists. The Governor has therefore without jurisdiction acting on the advice of Shivraj Singh Chouhan alone promulgated two Ordinances referred hereinbelow : (1) The Madhya Pradesh Finance Ordinance, 2020 [No. 1 of 2020]. (2) The Madhya Pradesh Appropriation (Vote On Account) Ordinance, 2020 [No. 2 of 2020]," the letter read.

"These Ordinances authorise the state government to burden the State with an additional loan of Rs 4,443 Crore. It also allows for the withdrawal of Rs. 10,00,66,74,81,000 (One Lakh Sixty Six Crore Seventy Four Lakh Eight Thousand) from the Consolidated Fund of the State for the Financial Year 2020-21. This not only has grave fiscal implications on the fiscal health of the State but gives an unconstitutional act the colour of legality," it added.

"That too for the longest period in our constitutional history. In fact, a Task Force has now been constituted in the State comprising of senior BJP leaders of which the Chief Minister is a mere member. This Task Force, led by the State BJP President is set up ostensibly to advise the State Government in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. This Task Force has no sanctity in law, cannot be held accountable, yet controls the functioning of the one-man non-government show; the death knell of democracy. The blatant exercise of such undemocratic decision-making cannot be countenanced," it stated.