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Ranchi, Aug. 4: Four MLAs from JMM and one each from the Congress and RJD were sworn in this morning in phase two of chief minister Hemant Soren’s Cabinet expansion, leaving three of the remaining berths for the Congress, which is also calling the shots on portfolio distribution.
The Congress, which conceded the post of chief minister to JMM and Hemant, is now extracting its pound of flesh by staking claim to key departments such as finance, energy, health and HRD, youth, sports and culture. The portfolio allocations were made late in the evening after heated discussions between allies.
On key allocations (see box), Hemant could only say: “We are doing these in a phased manner. Within a week, the next expansion will take place.”
This morning, six MLAs — Geetashree Oraon (Congress, Sisai), Suresh Paswan (RJD, Deoghar), Haji Hussain Ansari (JMM, Madhupur), Simon Marandi (JMM, Littipara), Champai Soren (JMM, Seraikela) and Jay Prakash Bhai Patel (JMM, Mandu) — were sworn in as ministers, three weeks after Hemant, RJD’s Annapurna Devi and Rajendra Prasad Singh of Congress took oath on July 13.
Coalition compulsions have ensured that out of Jharkhand’s 12-member Cabinet, five each would be from the Congress and JMM, while RJD would bag two. In phase two, JMM and RJD quotas were filled. In phase three — this is Jharkhand’s first Cabinet expansion to have three rounds — likely after August 10, three berths will go to Congress.
But revelations on portfolio allocations are pointing to the fact that the Congress is bent on having the final say.
A greater contrast to the oath-taking ceremony and portfolio allocations couldn’t be imagined. The morning ceremony at Raj Bhavan’s Birsa Mandap took a snappy 20 minutes — governor Syed Ahmed administered oath of office to the six between 10.55am and 11.15am — but backroom decisions on portfolio allocations took the whole day.
The governor signed the files well after 8.30pm after which it was sent to the secretary of department of Cabinet coordination, J.B. Tubid.
In the morning, many stalwarts made their presence felt by staying away. Now that JMM can’t offer Cabinet posts to any more party MLAs, disappointed hopefuls Hemlal Murmu, Lobin Hembrom, Polush Surin stayed away. Even Congress leaders Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mannan Mallik, Chandrasekhar Dubey and K.N. Tripathi were not seen.
Independent MLA and the controversial new found friend of Congress Bandhu Tirkey, jostling for ministerial post, decided to skip the ceremony with MLA Chamra Linda.
A prominent absentee later remarked: “Attending such an event twice and thrice is not necessary when your presence is not required.”
“Party ka nirnay sarvopari. Sahi samay par sahi baat (Party whip is paramount. Right words at the right time),” Hemlal remarked cryptically.
Among the Congress absentees, Ahmed was planning an iftar party in his Gandey constituency, Mallik was in Dhanbad observing Ramzaan, Tripathi was in Delhi on a personal visit while Dubey was learnt to have threatened his leadership with revolt if the party did okay his name for a ministerial berth.
The sole Congress MLA, Geetashree Oraon, however, made her presence felt with her booming voice while taking oath. Veteran Champai Soren and newbie Jay Prakash Bhai Patel were both seen mumbling. Another veteran Simon Marandi finished leisurely, a minute after the others.
“Jab oath hi lena hai to harbari kya hai. Dekhoji jaldi kaam shaitan ka hota hai (When I’m here to take oath, why hurry? See, work done fast is never well done),” Simon quipped later.
Some 30 relatives of Jay Prakash Bhai — the youngest Cabinet minister in the state as well as the doubly pampered son and son-in-law of JMM veterans Teklal Mahto and Mathura Prasad Mahto — turned up at Raj Bhavan from Mandu and Hazaribagh as special invitees.
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