Dehradun, Oct 10: Amidst reports that some Congress MLAs were warming up towards the BJP, Uttaranchal Chief Minister N D Tiwari today named ten party legislators as chairmen of various government-owned corporations with ministerial ranks and said he will expand the cabinet shortly to induct more of them. Announcing the list figuring names of ten MLAs including his known critic Harish Rawat, Tiwari told reporters, "More MLAs can be accommodated in the expansion of his Council of Ministers very soon,"
Dismissing reports of a group of Congress MLAs joining the BJP as "rumours", Tiwari said, "These kinds of reports are normal in the prevalent political situation in the country." Tiwari said, "As per the traditions in other states, in Uttaranchal also, the chairmanship of different corporations was being offered to MLAs." He denied that the moves were intended to ward off defections.
"I am going to talk with the high command regarding the expansion of my ministry, I hope this will be done shortly," Tiwari said. Significantly, the new list of corporation chairmen, widely seen as Tiwari's bid to placate disgruntled MLAs, contains names of MLAs Pradip Tamta and Phool Singh Bisht, who are close confidantes of Rawat.
Tiwari also accommodated Ganesh Godiyal, an legislator close to Satpal Maharaj. Bureau Report