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Gujarat CM expands ministry

Gujarat Chief Minister Dilip Parikh expanded his council of ministers on Thursday.

In doing so, he invited the wrath of Atmaram Patel by not including four of that leader's supporters.

Governor Krishnapal Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to six cabinet ministers and 16 ministers of state at Raj Bhavan at 1000 hours. The ministry now includes 17 cabinet ministers, including Parikh, and 21 ministers of state.

Revenue Minister Atmaram Patel, second in command in the Parikh ministry, did not attend the ceremony in protest against the non-inclusion of four of his supporters who were earlier ministers in the Shankarsinh Vaghela cabinet.

Patel said he hoped justice would be meted out to his supporters. If they were still ignored, Patel said he would decide what to do later, but added that he had faith in Vaghela, founder of the Rashtriya Janata Party.

The Parikh ministry now has 33 ministers belonging to the RJP and five Independents who support the government along with the Congress.

The Congress has not yet decided on joining the ministry, but if it decides to join the RJP government, it is most welcome, the chief minister said.

He said he would allocate portfolios to his ministers in a couple of days. Till then they would hold the portfolios held by them in the Vaghela ministry. Patel's supporters, he added, could be accommodated during the next expansion.

Parikh said Gujarat politics would now depend on the developments in Delhi, therefore, he did not rule out the possibility of holding a fresh assembly election along with the Lok Sabha poll.

Political uncertainty has rocked Gujarat since March 1995 when the Bharatiya Janata Party government took office. Four chief ministers have been changed and two governments dismissed.

The 182-member state assembly, at present with the strength of 181, comprises 77 BJP MLAs, 45 RJP MLAs, 44 Congress MLAs and 15 Independents.

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