Sai To Expand His Ministry Today, End Year-Long Suspense

The expansion of the Sai ministry, scheduled to take place at the Raj Bhavan here at 10.20 am on Wednesday, will end the year-long wait for it.

Hours after Mr. Sai indicated to the media here that the ‘long wait for the expansion of his ministry is over’, chief whip of the BJP Legislature Party in the House Sushant Shukla late on Tuesday announced that the ‘oath taking ceremony of the ministry will take place at 10.20 am on Wednesday at the Raj Bhavan’ and instructed all the party MLAs to be present on the occasion.

The communication to the BJP MLAs by the party’s chief whip has given rise to the speculation that there may also be reshuffle in the Sai ministry, besides the expansion.

Sources said three new faces may be inducted in the Sai ministry increasing its strength to 14 including the chief minister.

Three BJP MLAs, Khuswant Singh, Gajendra Yadav and Rajesh Agrawal, had called on Mr. Sai at the chief minister’s official residence here on Monday night, triggering speculation that they may be the new faces in the proposed expansion of the state ministry.

However, Mr. Sai is yet to declare the names of the new ministers to be inducted in his ministry.

Sources said Mr. Sai is also toying with the idea of dropping the ‘non-performing’ members in his ministry.

Mr. Sai is yet to open his cards as to whether he will drop any of his ministers in the proposed ministry expansion.

Sources said Mr. Sai has convened a meeting of his ministers at his official residence here late on Tuesday night to discuss the matter.

The expansion of the Sai ministry has been in the air for the last one year.