BJP balances caste, regional aspirations in govt formation
Due consideration was also given to the caste factors while selecting these lawmakers for induction in the council of ministers. Since seven Brahmins and six Ahirs were elected as BJP MLAs, the party picked two Brahmins – Arvind Sharma and Gaurav Gautam and two Ahirs – Rao Narbir Singh and Aarti Singh Rao for ministerial berths.
Balancing caste and regional aspirations, the BJP leadership on Thursday inducted 13 newly elected lawmakers in the Nayab Singh Saini-led council of ministers in Haryana. The new council of ministers has four first-time MLAs, two of them being former Lok Sabha MPs.
Working out a please-all combination, the BJP picked four MLAs from the northern Haryana – Anil Vij (Ambala district), Krishan Lal Panwar (Panipat district), Shyam Singh Rana (Yamunanagar district), Mahipal Dhanda (Panipat district), five from southern Haryana – Rao Narbir Singh (Gurugram district), Vipul Goel (Faridabad district), Aarti Rao (Mahendergarh district), Rajesh Nagar (Faridabad district) and Gaurav Gautam (Palwal), three from Jat heartland (central Haryana – Arvind Sharma (Sonepat district), Krishan Bedi (Jind district) and Shruti Choudhry (Tosham) and one from northwest Haryana, Ranbir Gangwa (Hisar district).
Due consideration was also given to the caste factors while selecting these lawmakers for induction in the council of ministers. Since seven Brahmins and six Ahirs were elected as BJP MLAs, the party picked two Brahmins – Arvind Sharma and Gaurav Gautam and two Ahirs – Rao Narbir Singh and Aarti Singh Rao for ministerial berths.
Among the eight scheduled caste MLAs elected, the BJP picked two for ministerial berths– Krishan Lal Panwar who represents other scheduled castes (OSC) comprising Chamars and related scheduled castes like Mochi, Jatav, Rahgars, Raigars, Ramdasias, Ravidasia and Krishan Kumar Bedi who represents deprived scheduled castes (DSC) comprising Balmikis, Dhanaks, Khatiks and Mazhabi Sikhs.
Two Jats, Mahipal Dhanda and Shruti Choudhry, one MLA from Punjabi-Khatri community, Anil Vij, one from Vaish community, Vipul Goel, one from backward class (A category), Ranbir Gangwa, one Rajput MLA, Shyam Singh Rana and one Gujjar MLA, Rajesh Nagar were also given ministerial berths.
The two Ahir ministers, Rao Narbir and Aarti Rao, one Gujjar minister, Rajesh Nagar and chief minister, Nayab Saini also fulfilled the representation to backward classes (B category).
The first-time MLAs who made it to the council of ministers are Aarti Rao, Arvind Sharma and Shruti Choudhry, both former MPs, and Gaurav Gautam, 36, the youngest in the council of ministers. He was sworn in as minister of state (independent charge).
Prof Ashutosh Kumar, who teaches political science at Panjab University, Chandigarh, says that caste and regional factors are important in every election and subsequent government formation. “Region-wise and caste-wise representation is a hallmark of successful electoral democracy along with participation. The composition of council of ministers needs balance and many factors need equilibrium in formation of council of ministers,” said Prof Kumar.