Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], December 3 : Amid the awaited cabinet expansion in Jharkhand, BJP leader Pratul Shah Deo on Tuesday hit out at the ruling alliance and said that it's been six days since the Chief Minister has taken oath but they haven't even created a common minimum programme for the public of the state.
"In Jharkhand, the ruling alliance has 56 MLAs... None of the MLAs are there who haven't claimed (to be the minister). Congress even claimed that they would get the deputy CM post. It's been 6 days since the CM has taken oath and the common minimum programme (of ruling alliance) is yet to be decided, else they are discussing which party will have maximum minister...." Deo told ANI.
Earlier on Monday, Congress leader Meem Afzal expressed hope that the long-awaited cabinet expansion in Jharkhand would be completed before December 9, following discussions between the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress.
"The discussion between the leaders (JMM and Congress) will take place in next one or two days after it were delayed due to weekend and the Parliament session. It (cabinet expansion) should be done before December 9. I think it should be decided before December 9," the Congress leader said.
"The Congress party does not have any demands. It is already clear," Afzal added, in response to a query.
Jharkhand Congress President Keshav Mahto Kamlesh also said that a decision on the cabinet expansion will be made very soon.
In response to a query regarding the Jharkhand government cabinet expansion, the JMM leader said, "Everything will be done. You will witness (the cabinet expansion), and you will very soon get information on every issue."
When asked further, he clarified, "There is no kind of resentment (between the leaders of the alliance)."
Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir also commented on the matter, stating that Congress will hold discussions with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on the issue of cabinet berths.
"In two to three days, the cabinet berths of the Jharkhand government will be announced. We (Congress) will hold discussions with JMM and decide on the cabinet berths," he told ANI.
"First, questions were raised on the distribution of tickets followed by the distribution of seats. But we had said that the alliance would get a better mandate, and the results are in front of you," he added.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren assumed office on November 28 after taking the oath as Chief Minister for a second consecutive term.
Meanwhile, reacting to the surveys that are conducted at some religious places on court orders, he said "...The surveys that are being conducted - it's all on the orders of the Courts. It's not being done on administrative orders... We think that these are being done to undo the historical wrongs."