The three Cabinet berths remaining vacant in the Himachal Pradesh government are not being filled deliberately to avoid bickering within the Congress party, the state BJP claimed on Friday. BJP spokesperson Randhir Sharma said his party has been raising the issue of caste and regional imbalance in the Cabinet for a long time.
Sharma alleged that a “step-brotherly treatment” was given to lower Himachal, including Kangra, Mandi, Bilaspur and Kullu districts, in the Cabinet. Sukhu took oath as Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister on December 11, along with Mukesh Agnihotri, who became his deputy. At the time, he also administered oath to six chief parliamentary secretaries. In February, Sukhu inducted seven more ministers, taking the total strength of the Cabinet to 9 against a capacity of 12.
Sharma said Sukhu decided to induct the chief parliament secretaries just before the Cabinet expansion to avoid resentment among the MLAs, adding the appointments have been challenged in court as unconstitutional.
“Now the (Cabinet) expansion is being delayed to evade bickering in Congress,” the BJP leader asserted. “Kangra – the biggest district in the state with 15 assembly seats and 10 Congress MLAs — is still waiting for its due share in the state cabinet,” Sharma said. Kangra has got only one berth while Shimla, with seven Congress MLAs, has got the lion’s share in the Cabinet with three ministers while Bilaspur, Mandi, Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti districts drew a blank. The Congress won 40 out of the total 68 assembly seats in the state. The council of ministers comprises five Rajputs, and one member each from Brahmin, Schedule Tribe, Scheduled Caste and OBC categories.