Shimla: The 18 month old BJP government underwent its first expansion on Thursday with Governor Prabha Rau administering oath of office and secrecy to two cabinet ministers and raising the strength of chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal’s cabinet to 11 ministers.
At a simple ceremony in the Raj Bhavan, the governor swore-in Jai Ram Thakur and Mohinder Singh as cabinet ministers. Besides the chief minister the function was attended by all cabinet colleagues, speaker Tulsi Ram and leader of the opposition Vidya Stokes.
Preceding the cabinet expansion, chief minister Dhumal administered oath of office and secrecy to induct three chief parliamentary secretaries at a simple function in the state secretariat.
Of the three CPS sworn in, Satapal Satti and Virender Kanwar are from Una district, and Sukh Ram Chaudhary from Sirmaur district. Neither district has a representation in the state cabinet.
Chief secretary, Asha Swaroop conducted the proceedings of swearing-in ceremony.
Jai Ram Thakur, who as BJP state president was instrumental in bridging the factional divide within the party to wrest power from congress in 2007 general assembly elections, is a new entrant into the state cabinet.
Born on 6th January, 1965, Jai Ram Thakur is a third term legislator. He started his political career with ABVP in 1986, rising to head BJP Yuva Morcha, then as district president and was made state party president in January 2007.
Mohinder Singh a five term MLA was a minister in the BJP – Himachal Vikas Congress coalition government that ran its term in 1998-2003 with Dhumal as the chief minister.
Inducted as a minister from HVC, a regional party that was floated by Sukh Ram, the former communication minister, Mohinder was dropped as PWD minister mid-way in the term as ties between the coalition partners turned cold.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
Mr. Mahender Singh has got his due. I appreciate his dynamic approach that can outshine many in Himachal Politics. I have met people from different corners of the state who narrated stories about his prompt actions regarding road construction when he was PWD minister.
We do not need sleeping ministers with dead vision, we need dynamism to reform the set up and uplift the GDP/PCI of HP. Unlike some ministers in UPA govt. out there to mend the system in many ways, BJP Govt.in the state is playing in the handful of self styled leaders/touts who have no links to grassroot politics and influencing it for actions like “bonafide Himachali statusâ€. It will prove fatal to the organization in coming days.