Last cabinet reshuffle likely soon

Bhopal, May 10: A significant and perhaps the last one before the assembly polls, cabinet expansion is likely soon. Accountability and performance will be the sole criteria and the ‘dead wood’ consisting of four ministers may be dropped from Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.

The likely expansion became a certainty after BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu during his recent visit indicated that the ministers not performing well would be dropped. Naidu also asked the ministers and party legislators to improve their working for better results in the assembly elections. The MLAs have also been asked to improve working otherwise they would not be provided with tickets. Party sources said that at least four ministers who had not been performing well and facing corruption charges might have to go. Since, there are already four vacancies in the cabinet and assembly elections are just six months away, cabinet reshuffle is on the anvil.

The main opposition in state assembly Congress is making corruption of ministers an issue and already declared that they would take this issue to the people in assembly elections. Sources claimed that those ministers facing opposition in their constituencies and could not perform well in the by-elections, would have to go. Similarly, the legislators facing resentment might be dropped in the next round of assembly elections, if they do not improve their image in just three months. In the recent survey conducted by the party in Madhya Pradesh, it was found that 70 MLAs are facing problems in their constituencies with their personal image and working of the party in these segments. The party high command has taken the report seriously and Naidu’s recent visit was an indication to accelerate working of MLAs and the ministers.