MP to get bigger cabinet with 'Happiness Ministry' soon

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday left for Delhi to get the nod of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s central leadership for the much-awaited expansion of state cabinet and formation of 'Happiness Ministry'.

Sources close to the chief minister said the announcement of cabinet expansion and formation of a new ministry may come in a day or two as he was expected to return by late this evening.

Chouhan had a closed-door meeting with BJP vice-president and Madhya Pradesh in-charge Vinay Sahastrabuddhe, state BJP president Nandkumar Chouhan and BJP state organising secretary Suhas Bhagat here yesterday.

Chouhan-led Government, in its third term now, has 18 cabinet ministers and four ministers of state since 2013. Expansion was expected in 2014 and 2015, but it did not happen. As per the Constitutional provision, 11 more ministers can be appointed.

On June 17, the Chief Minister had said at the state BJP executive meeting that there would be a cabinet expansion. He also announced proposal to form Happiness Ministry, inspired by Bhutan which has the concept of gross national happiness index.

The Happiness Ministry might be helmed by the Chief Minister himself, sources said.