Bhopal:The much-awaited expansion of Madhya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan Council of Ministers was finally effectuated on Thursday in the state capital with the induction of 20 members of Cabinet rank and eight ministers of state ? significantly, about ten of the fresh countenances are loyalists of Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Anandiben Patel at Raj Bhavan. Among the dignitaries in attendance were Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Mr Scindia; Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Narendra Singh Tomar; Rajya Sabha Member Vinay P Sahasrabuddhe; BJP state President Vishnu Dutt Sharma, other senior politicians and top bureaucrats.
The Chouhan team now has 25 Cabinet ministers and eight state ones. In view of the 230-member Assembly, the Council's maximum permissible strength is 35, including the Chief Minister.(UNI)