Madhya Pradesh cabinet expansion on Thursday

The much-awaited Madhya Pradesh Cabinet expansion and reshuffle will take place on Thursday after two-and-a-half years since the BJP government took charge of the office in 2013 for the third consecutive term.

MP Governor Ramnaresh Yadav will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers, whose names have not yet been officially announced, at Raj Bhawan, an official said.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had, on Wednesday, visited New Delhi and took nod of the party's central leadership's to expand and reshuffle his cabinet.

He held the decision with BJP president Amit Shah before finalising the expansion.

BJP insiders said leaders Archana Chitnis, Rustam Singh, Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya, Om Prakash Saklecha, Vishwas Sarang, Sudershan Gupta among others, are expected to get ministerial berths.

Home Minister Babulal Gaur and Public Works Department Minister Sartaj Singh, who are aged above 70, might be asked to resign from their posts as the party's central leadership was averse to their continuation despite reservation of Chouhan, sources said.

Besides, some ministers might be reshuffled and three junior ministers — Surendra Patwa (Tourism), Deepak Joshi (School and Higher education) and Lal Singh Arya (General Administration Department) are likely to be promoted, they added.

The Chouhan-led government, in its third term, has 18 cabinet ministers and four ministers of state since December 2013.

The expansion was expected in 2014 and 2015, but it did not happen.

As per the Constitutional provision, 11 more ministers can be appointed.

After the expansion, a first-of-its-kind new Happiness Ministry, inspired by Bhutan that has a concept of 'gross national happiness index', is going to be constituted shortly, sources said. It is likely to be helmed by the CM himself.

Chouhan had on June 17 said at the state BJP executive meeting that there would be a cabinet expansion soon.

He had also announced a proposal to form 'Happiness Ministry'.