Guwahati: With the byelections over, the expansion of the cabinet led by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has become the talk of the town in Assam's capital Dispur.
While the issue of a proposed cabinet expansion was on the pipeline, the issue seems to have gained steam afresh, particularly after the saffron party's stupendous performance in the just concluded byelections to the five legislative assembly constituencies.
The ruling party legislators are seen engaged in hectic lobbying either at the corridors of Dispur or at the Vajpayee Bhavan--the BJP headquarters in Guwahati.
"We must accommodate somebody from the constituencies in Barak Valley--it is on the agenda. However, when we discuss this, there may be one or two additions or subtractions. But it is very important to pick someone from the Barak Valley constituencies," said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while interacting with reporters on Thursday on the sidelines of a programme.
"When I go to Delhi next I will come to know about it--whether to conclude the matter by inducting just one from the Barak valley or there could be more reshuffle. However, the party leaders in Assam are unanimous that we must induct one from the Barak Valley in the cabinet," said Saram.
There is no representation in the cabinet from Barak Valley at the moment as former minister Parimal Suklabaidya who represented the Dholai constituency in Barak Valley quit after being elected to Lok Sabha earlier this year.
The cabinet expansion in Assam has been mooted for a long as most of the ministers in the cabinet have more responsibilities due to a lack of adequate numbers of ministers. Assam is due for assembly elections in early 2026.
What's the buzz
Sources in the Vajpayee Bhavan said that there are possibilities that three ministers will be inducted into the cabinet. "There is also a probability that at least one minister will be axed from the current cabinet," they said.
The strength of the current cabinet is 15 including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The maximum strength of the Assam cabinet can be 18 including the Chief Minister--which indicates that three slots are still vacant.
The Sources in the BJP headquarters, however, said that the names of the present Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly Biswajit Daimary and party president Bhabesh Kalita are doing the rounds for induction in the to-be-expanded cabinet.
