Chhattisgarh cabinet expansion: Surguja strengthened, Bastar still underrepresented
The expansion will significantly boost representation from the Surguja division in North Chhattisgarh, with the region now accounting for four ministers.This further strengthens the BJP's position in an area where it performed strongly in the last elections. However, political observers have noted that the tilt towards Surguja risks deepening regional imbalance. Bastar, the epicenter of the state's Naxal conflict and tribal development challenges, continues to have just one minister in the cabinet.Caste dynamics are also shaping the expansion. The inclusion of Guru Khushwant Saheb, a Satnami leader, is being seen as a deliberate move to reach out to the influential Satnami community, which has expressed discontent with the BJP in recent months.In June 2024, Balodabazar witnessed one of the most violent caste protests in the state's recent history, after the Jaitkham, a sacred pillar of the Satnami faith, was allegedly vandalised.Outrage spilt onto the streets as protesters set fire to the Collectorate and SP's office, leaving nearly 50 injured. Khushwant's elevation is being projected as an attempt at reconciliation, aimed at winning back the community's trust.Profiles of the probable ministers highlight their varied political journeys. Gajendra Yadav, an OBC leader from Durg City, secured a thumping margin of 48,697 votes against Congress's Arun Vora, boasts a legislative attendance of 95.8 percent, and has declared assets worth over Rs 4 crore.Guru Khushwant Saheb, the youngest among the probables and born in 1989, switched from Congress to BJP months before the 2023 elections and defeated Congress's Shivkumar Dahariya by over 16,500 votes.His inclusion is tied closely to BJP's strategy of appeasing the Satnami base. Rajesh Agrawal, from Ambikapur, stunned political observers with his narrow victory of just 94 votes over former Deputy CM TS Singh Deo. A former Congress member who joined the BJP in 2018, Agrawal has a business background and education up to Class 10.Veteran leader Amar Agrawal from Bilaspur, who has handled health, finance, and urban administration portfolios in previous governments, remains a strong contender and is expected to bring administrative experience to a cabinet otherwise dominated by younger faces.After the expansion, the new composition of the Chhattisgarh cabinet will see Surguja division with five ministers, Bilaspur with three, Durg with three, Raipur with two, and Bastar with just one.- EndsMust Watch
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