With no cabinet expansion in sight, Madhya Pradesh BJP forms task force to involve other leaders

NEW DELHI: In a late evening development on Monday, the Madhya Pradesh BJP formed a task force of 11 senior state leaders to help the government tackle the Covid-19 battle. This is a temporary arrangement till the time cabinet expansion takes place, sources said. Currently, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the lone minister in the state with no cabinet, since he took oath on March 23.

This is for the first time in the political history of MP that an alternative task force has been formed to work almost like a cabinet or advisory team to the chief minister.

The team is headed by MP BJP president VD Sharma and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is a member, along with nine other senior leaders.


“The BJP government is doing well in battling the corona crisis. All MLAs and party workers are working hard,” VD Sharma told ET. “However, it was important that other leaders too should be involved in the process and that’s why this task force has been formed to make the entire work system more effective.”

Sharma however says cabinet expansion is a different subject and it will happen as and when the circumstances become normal.

A look at the members of the task force throws hints at what the future Shivraj cabinet is likely to be. Special attention has been given to region-wise representation in the task force. Apart from VD Sharma and Chouhan, state BJP general secretary (organisation) Suhas Bhagat, national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and former BJP state president and Jabalpur MP Rakesh Singh are also part of the task force. There are also six MLAs and a former Congress MLA in the task force.

Among the MLAs, senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra comes from Gwalior Chambal region, while another senior leader Gopal Bhargava represents Bundelkhand region. Rajendra Shukla meets the representation of the Riwa-Satna belt, while Meena Singh is the tribal face from Shahdol. The current protem speaker Jagdish Devda who is also part of the task force comes from Mandsaur.

Devda used to be a minister in the state cabinet since 2004. However, in 2013, he couldn’t find a cabinet birth as his office staff got named in the Vyapam scam. Getting a place in the task force is an indication that Devda may find a place in the new Chouhan cabinet.

Former Congress minister Tulsi Silawat has also been named in the task force as the sole representative of Jyotiraditya Scindia. Silawat was the health minister before he left for Bengaluru as part of rebel Congress MLAs. He comes from Indore.

The task force held its first meeting on Tuesday evening. “We will regularly meet to discuss the measures taken by the government and suggestions given by leaders to provide more power to the government,” VD Sharma added.