Speculation begin about Trivendra's cabinet

Dehradun: The first challenge that stares Uttarakhand chief minister designate Trivendra Singh Rawat in the face is how to chose his Cabinet with a number of newly-elected party MLAs eyeing ministerial berths.

Though there is no word officially from the BJP yet on the ministers to be sworn-in along with the chief minister tomorrow, quite a few names are doing the rounds including those of Yashpal Arya, Satpal Maharaj, Harak Singh Rawat, Harbans Kapoor, Madan Kaushik, Munna Singh Chauhan, Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion, Subodh Uniyal and Rekha Arya.

Sorting out the issue may be a tricky affair for the chief minister designate as the limit for the size of the Cabinet is only 12 including the CM and aspirants for ministerial berths are far too many including old party loyalists as well as the Congress turncoats who were ministers in Harish Rawat's Cabinet and won this time on BJP tickets.

All Congress turncoats or their proteges or wards fielded by the BJP have won their seats except Shaila Rani Rawat and Shailendra Mohan Singhal of whom Yashpal Arya and Harak Singh Rawat were members of the Harish Rawat cabinet.

Vijay Bahuguna and Amrita Rawat did not contest but Bahuguna's son Saurav won from his father's seat Sitarganj and Amrita's husband Satpal Maharaj from Chaubattakhal who may be nourishing their own ambitions.

On the other hand, it may be difficult for the chief minister designate to disappoint quite a few party loyalists like Harbans Kapoor, who has won for the eighth time from his seat and was formerly the speaker of the state assembly, by denying them ministerial berths.