Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Chouhan allocates portfolios to 3 new ministers

With Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections approaching fast, the induction of three new ministers takes the strength of the cabinet to 34

Days after expanding his cabinet on August 26, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday allocated portfolios to the three new ministers.

Newly inducted minister Rajendra Shukla has been given the Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Public Relations departments.

Gauri Shankar Bisen got the Narmada Valley Development department, while Rahul Lodhi has been allocated Kutir and Gramodyog and Forest departments.

With the induction of three more ministers, the cabinet's strength has risen to 34. Now, only one vacancy is left in the cabinet.

Earlier, a senior BJP leader told Hindustan Times that Union Home Minister Amit Shah took the decision of cabinet expansion to end all the infighting and satisfy the senior leaders of BJP in Madhya Pradesh.

Shah has also repeatedly visited the poll-bound state as part of attempts to counter anti-incumbency and infighting.

The state is all set to see a tight electoral contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. In the last assembly elections in 2018, the Congress had stormed to power in the state, and Kamal Nath was sworn in as the chief minister.

However, fifteen months later, stumped by the rebellion of party colleague Jyodiraditya Scindia, who joined the BJP, and the resignations of 22 Congress MLAs, Kamal Nath stepped down from the CM post, following which BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan returned as the CM of the state for the fourth time.