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Haryana Speaker quits, may find berth in Cabinet

By Rajesh Ahuja

Kiran Chaudhary, Savitri Jindal also in race

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on Thursday confirmed that he would be expanding his 10-month-old Ministry in the next few days.

In a related development, the Haryana Assembly Speaker, Harmohinder Singh Chatha, resigned from his post on Thursday morning fuelling speculation that he was likely to find a berth in the nine-member State Cabinet.

Leaders rush to Delhi

Even as Mr.Hooda parried persistent queries from media persons regarding the Cabinet expansion and which "lucky'' MLAs would be accommodated in the "exercise'', leaders and aspirants rushed to New Delhi to curry "favour'' with the Congress High Command.

It is likely that the expansion may take place on Saturday or Sunday. The Congress has 67 MLAs in the 90-member House.

According to highly-placed sources, the former Chief Minister and President of the Haryana unit of the Congress, Bhajan Lal, was camping in the national capital along with MLAs belonging to his camp. Mr.Lal had been a strong contender for the Chief Ministership in March last till he lost the race to Mr.Hooda.

Special session

It is learnt that he is actively pleading for the induction of his loyalists including Dharampal Singh Malik and Mange Ram Gupta, a former Finance Minister. Party sources said on the point of anonymity that Raghubir Singh Kadian, MLA and close associate of Mr.Hooda, was likely to be elected Speaker of the Assembly in the two-day special session of the Vidhan Sabha commencing here on Friday.

It is also being said that Kiran Chaudhary and Savitri Jindal, widows of the late Ministers, Surender Singh and O.P.Jindal, who were killed in an air crash last year, were likely to be inducted in the Cabinet.

However, it was not sure whether Mr.Hooda would fill the remaining two slots now or later as he was keeping the cards close to his heart. According to the law, the numerical strength of the Cabinet cannot exceed 14 members.

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