State Cabinet expansion likely after March 10

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 4: With all eyes set on the much-talked about expansion of Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal's Cabinet, some MLAs of the BJP, the AGP and the BPF are hopeful of being picked up. Some of the Cabinet colleagues of Sonowal, on the other hand, may be in for giving up some of their plum portfolios as the Cabinet expansion is likely to necessitate a shuffling of portfolios.

Gossip goes that Sonowal is going to expand his Cabinet after March 10 when the Budget Session of the State Assembly will conclude. Earlier the Cabinet was set for expansion after the Magh Bihu but Sonowal missed the bus because of the Budget Session that had begun on January 30.

State BJP president Ranjit Kumar Dass was on record on saying recently that the State Cabinet is set for an expansion after the Budget session.

The number of members of MLAs to be inducted into the Cabinet is eight - the break-up being six from the BJP and one each from the AGP and the BPF. The Cabinet has as many as 11 members now.