The Pioneer, Dec 25, 2007
The much-talked-about expansion of the Naveen Patnaik Ministry in a few days is a misnomer, according to sources close to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. "It will be a minor vacancy filling exercise," said the sources on Monday.
There are only two vacancies, one for the BJP and the other for the BJD, in the present Ministry of 20 members including the Chief Minister. And the BJP slot is already reserved for Pradip Nayak from Kalahandi, who had to resign as a Minister of State in April 2006 in the wake of the controversy over his alleged filing of a false affidavit before the Returning Officer prior to the 2004 elections.
Nayak has since been legally cleared of the legal row, for which the Chief Minister has given indication of his re-induction into the Ministry. Another factor that seems to have prompted Naveen Patnaik to expedite Nayak's return to his team is the mounting pressure from the BJP's Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe MLAs for their legitimate representation in the Ministry. Their aim primarily relates to rehabilitation of Nayak, who belongs to the Scheduled Castes.
The only other new entrant into the Ministry will be from the BJD to meet the vacancy following Bishnu Charan Das' departure as a Cabinet-rank member amid the row over his son's High School Certificate Examination mark-sheet tampering scandal in August last year. There is no likelihood of the return of Das, who was the Minister of School and Mass Education, to the Cabinet in view of the ongoing inquiry into the scam.
The only speculation, if there should be any, relates to who from the BJD would be chosen to fill up Das' vacancy. There are, no doubt, many aspirants who have been trying to curry favours from the Chief Minister and a few others in the BJD's decision-making circle, soliciting their 'blessings.' But no firm indication is available as to who will be chosen one. The final decision is expected to be made just after the BJD's Foundation Day rally in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.
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