Raipur, Dec 21: Eleven MLAs will take oath as
ministers in the Raman Singh-led BJP government here in
Chhattisgarh tomorrow.
Singh, after returning from Delhi, said his ministry
would come into shape tomorrow at 12.30 pm with ministers
taking oath of their respective offices.
He had flown to New Delhi on December 19 to finalise
the list of cabinet ministers in his government after
consultation with the party central leadership.
Soon after assuming office, Raman Singh was in Delhi
for three days meeting senior party leaders, including Atal
Behari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani.
Singh had to rush back to Raipur on December 17
skipping a meeting with BJP national president Rajnath Singh,
as his mother was admitted in a local hospital in serious
condition.
This resulted in deferring the formation of the
cabinet scheduled on December 18.
To finalise the list, Singh again flew to New Delhi on
December 19 and got the list finalised after meeting Rajnath
Singh and Lal Krishna Advani.
As per the Constitutional obligation, which allows 15
per cent of the total strength of the house to become
ministers, the state can have a maximum of 13.5 ministers in
the 90-member House.
Raman Singh assumed office of the Chief Minister for
the second term on December 12 after BJP's victory in this
year's assembly elections in the state.
As per the party directive, Singh alone had taken oath
of the office deferring the cabinet expansion.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, December 21, 2008, 00:00