MP: Faceless Ministers, Little Talent

NK SINGH

Last week’s expansion of Madhya Pradesh ministry demonstrates that in his third term in power Shivraj Singh Chouhan continues to be monarch of all that he surveys. The choice of ministers for his second expansion in four years indicates that he fears none.

He has shown both Sumitra Mahajan ---- the state’s most visible face in New Delhi ---- and Kailash Vijayvargiya ---- the exiled challenger to the throne ---- who is the boss in MP.

Chouhan has chosen to totally ignore Indore, the influence area of Mahajan and Vijayvargiya that also happens to be state’s most important political nerve centre. Indore district continues to be without a single representative. In comparison, Gwalior has three cabinet ministers now. Even Raisen has three ministers, including two of cabinet rank.

Vijayvargiya said in an acidic reaction, “With Shivraj Singh around, Indore does not need any other representative. He is the leader of Indore, he is also its super leader.”

Ever since two of the most prominent dissidents, Babulal Gaur and Vijayvargiya, both undoubted performers in the cabinet, were shown door two years ago, Chouhan enjoys an unassailable position.  But unassailable position does not necessarily mean that the ministry is packed with talented performers.

On the contrary, the state has been suffering a faceless ministry, with zero spark of talent, for the last four years. Of the 31 gems Chouhan has assembled for his ministry, how many names one can recall?  Not more than half a dozen, may be. The few names that come to mind are probably that of Jayant Malaiya, Narottam Mishra, Yashodhara Raje Scindia and Archana Chitnis.

Talent sacrificed at the altar of votes

With talent sacrificed at the altar of votes, last week’s addition did little to improve the ministry’s image. Chouhan did not attempt expansion because his work was suffering for paucity of ministers or he wanted to infuse talent.

The sole reason was political. The exercise was an attempt to play caste card and garner more votes in February 24 by-elections to Mungaoli and Kolaras assembly constituencies. In fact, a piqued Congress rushed to Election Commission to demand a stay on ministry expansion as the model code of conduct was in force.

The BJP was planning to include Ashoknagar MLA Gopal Jatav in the ministry to attract scheduled caste votes. It hoped the move would convince voters in the two poll bound constituencies of the party’s concern for dalit communities.

But Congress nipped the plan in the bud. Its complaint to Election Commission led to dropping of Jatav’s name from the list of new ministers. Jatav confirmed that much. He told a newspaper that his inclusion in the ministry was stalled at the last minute due to Congress complaint.  He also said that Chouhan had promised to keep him in mind in future expansion.

It was caste cart all the way in the ministry expansion. The BJP included Narayan Singh Kushwaha in the ministry with an eye on Kushwaha votes. Kolaras has about 15,000 votes of Kushwahas and Mungaoli has about 8,000.

Balkrishna Patidar’s inclusion in the ministry is seen as an effort to placate Patidar community that is unhappy with BJP ever since its agitation for reservation in Gujarat and farmers agitation in Mandsaur that mostly involved affluent Patidar farmers. Four of the five persons killed in Mandsaur police firing were Patidars.

Another minister with criminal cases 

Similarly, Jalam Singh Patel was included in the cabinet because he belongs to Lodhi community that has about 15,000 votes in Mungaoli and about 10,000 votes in Kolaras.

Of course, Chouhan aimed to kill two birds with one stone. Jalam Singh’s inclusion would help scuttle his brother Prahlad Patel’s chance for state BJP presidentship. It would also widen the rift between him and Uma Bharati, Chouhan’s bête noir.

When it comes to winning at all costs, ethics and morality becomes the first casualty. Jalam Singh’s inclusion has evoked strong reaction from the Congress. Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh said Patel was an absconder in police records till five months back. “The chief minister traced him and made him a minister”, he commented.

The newly inducted minister had 39 criminal cases registered against him. Twenty years ago proceedings were started under NSA against him because few were willing to come as witnesses in most cases. But the BJP ignored the background because after Uma Bharati, Prahlad Patel is the tallest Lodhi leader in the state.

No wonder we have a ministry that is not only devoided of talent but which is packed with politicians whom no one is going to remember the moment they are thrown out of power.

Published in DB Post of 5 Feb 18

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