Haryana cabinet expansion today, new ministers likely to take oath at 4 PM

Chandigarh: The Haryana cabinet expansion will take place here on Tuesday, the second one in the past two years.

Among the probables whose names are doing the rounds for induction into the cabinet include Devender Singh Babli, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) MLA from Tohana, while one from the BJP camp is also likely to be inducted.

"The cabinet expansion will take place at a function to be held at Haryana Raj Bhavan at 4 pm on December 28," an official statement said.

The names of probables from the BJP camp doing the round include Gian Chand Gupta, who is currently Speaker of the Haryana Assembly and MLA from Panchkula, and Dr Kamal Gupta, MLA from Hisar.

The BJP and JJP, which are coalition partners, enjoy a majority in the 90-member Assembly.

In 2019, more than two weeks after taking oath as the Haryana chief minister, Manohar Lal Khattar had first expanded his council of ministers in November that year by inducting 10 members.

Before induction of the 10 members then, JJP's Dushyant Chautala had taken oath as the deputy chief minister.

In the previous expansion at that time, six were inducted of cabinet rank and four as ministers of state, taking the total strength of council of ministers to 12 including the chief minister and his deputy.

Now, two more ministers can be accommodated in the ministry.