All three Sukhu ministers who were stripped of portfolios to accommodate two new entrants skip cabinet meeting
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Absence of Harshvardhan, Rohit, Vikramaditya triggers speculation if trio is angry
The Newz Radar
SHIMLA: In an unusual turn of events, Himachal Pradesh ministers Harshvardhan Chauhan, Rohit Thakur and Vikramaditya Singh skipped the Cabinet meeting convened by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in Shimla on Friday (January 12, 2024), triggering speculation in political circles. More so as all the three were stripped of certain portfolios to allocate berths to two new ministers, Rajesh Dharmani and Yadwinder Goma, who were sworn-in recently.
The conspicuous absence of all three ministers has led to conjectures about the implications of this development. The reshuffling of portfolios by Chief Minister Sukhu saw Dharmani taking over technical education and vocational and industrial training from Education Minister Rohit Thakur. Consequently, Rohit Thakur now oversees only the higher education and elementary education departments.
Harshvardhan Chauhan faced a portfolio adjustment as well, with the AYUSH department transferred to Yadvinder Goma, leaving Chauhan with the industry and parliamentary affairs departments. Vikramaditya Singh, the son of Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh and six-term Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh, was stripped of youth services and sports department, which went to Goma. Vikramaditya now oversees only the public works department.
The absence of Harshvardhan, Rohit and Singh from the cabinet meeting, held after the reshuffling of departments, has sparked discussions in political circles. While it may be coincidental, the fact that others have assumed the departments previously held by the trio adds a layer of intrigue.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur has raised questions about the redistribution of portfolios from the old ministers. He questioned the allocation of lighter departments to the new ministers, insinuating that the previous ministers were equally capable of managing those departments.
Jai Ram emphasised that the Chief Minister had various departments at his disposal, which could have been assigned to the new ministers, but this was not done. He concluded by stating that concerns surrounding the matter were not limited to the opposition, but were also being voiced within the ruling party.
