Bhopal: A 28-member-council of ministers of Kamal Nath government was sworn-in here on Tuesday.
Significantly, three factional leaders of Congress in Madhya Pradesh— chief minister Kamal Nath, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh and party’s chief whip in Lok Sabha Jyotiraditya Scindia—have stamped their authority on ministry formation, if composition of the ministry was any indication.
While Mr Nath had inducted ten MLAs, considered close to him, in his ministry, Mr Singh and Mr Scindia have managed to secure ministerial berths for their nine and seven loyalists respectively.
Former MP Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Arun Yadav who had lost to outgoing chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Budhni assembly seat in the recently held polls, could manage to get a ministerial berth for his loyalist MLAs. The 28-member-council of ministers was sworn-in by MP governor Anandiben Patel in a simple ceremony here in the afternoon.
While Jaivardhan Singh (32), son of former chief minister Digvijay Singh, was the youngest minister in the Kamal Nath cabinet, the 72-year-old chief minister was the eldest member in the ministry.
Mr Nath seemed to have tried his best to maintain regional balance in formation of his ministry.
Accordingly, Malwa-Nimad, Madhya Bharat, Gwalior-Chambal, Maha-koshal, Bundelkhand and Vindya regions have been represented by nine, six, five, four, three and one ministers in the new ministry respectively.
Similarly, castes such as Rajput, OBC, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Yadav, and Brahmin have been represented by five, five, four, three, and two members respectively in the state ministry.
The ministry has lone Muslim and three women ministers.
