Dehra Dun, Oct 12: The opposition BJP in Uttaranchal today accused Chief Minister N D Tiwari of "distributing" chairmanships of government corporations with cabinet ranks "like sweets" to Congress MLAs in a bid to ward off dissension in the ruling party. "It seems he is feeling insecure. The Chief Minister is distributing ministerial berths like revaris (sweets) among Congress MLAs to keep the flock together," state BJP president and former chief minister, Bhagat Singh Koshiyari alleged. Amidst reports that a group of disgruntled Congress MLAs were planning to join hands with BJP, Tiwari on Friday made 10 party MLAs chairmen of various government corporations with cabinet rank. Within 24 hours he included five more names in the list taking the total number of Congress MLAs enjoying ministerial status to 34 in a 70-member assembly. NCP state president Suryakant Dhasmana also criticised the move of Tiwari as "an effort to save his unstable government." "In Delhi, only 10 per cent of MLAs have been given ministerial berths. But in a new state like Uttaranchal, the Congress is heralding a new tradition with cent per cent MLAs being accorded ministerial berths," he alleged.
Lone NCP MLA Balbir Singh Negi and an independent Gangan Singh Rajwar had joined Congress yesterday apparently on the promise of getting ministerial berths.
Bureau Report