Gandhinagar: Eight BJP MLA today took oath for the post of Parliamentary Secretary. They are Vibhavari Dave(Bhavnagar East MLA), Vasan Ahir(Anjar MLA), Jayanti Rathva(Jetpur Pavi ST seat MLA), Ranchhod Desai(Patan MLA), Bharat Dabhi(Kheralu MLA), Shamji Chauhan(Chotila MLA), Babu Jamna Patel(Daskroi MLA in Ahmedabad) and Jethabhai Solanki(Kodinar SC seat MLA).

The MLAs took oath of office at Swarnim Sankul in Gandhinagar in the presence of ministers and other key officials of the government this evening, an official press release issued here said.

Out of the eight Parliamentary Secretaries, five were appointed by Rupani’s predecessor Anandiben Patel in 2014.

Those who were retained are Vasanbhai Ahir, Bharatsinh Dabhi, Ranchhodbhai Desai, Shamji Chauhan and Jethabhai Solanki, it said.

Three new faces include Vibhavariben Dave, Jayantibhai Rathva and Babubhai Patel.

Departments allotted to the secretaries are:

Vasan Ahir: Water supply, cottage industry, salt industry
Ranchhodbhai Desai: Panchayat, animal husbandry, pilgrimage development
Vibhavari Dave: Women and child welfare, education
Bharatsinh Dabhi: Water resources, rural development
Shamjibhai Chauhan: Food and civil supply, consumer affairs
Jethabhai Solanki: Social justice and empowerment (SC welfare)
Babu Jamna Patel: Agriculture and cooperatives
Jayantibhai Rathva: Forests, tribal welfare

With appointment of 8 parliamentary secretaries and earlier swearing-in of 25 ministers, there are now total 33 ministers/parliamentary secretary at service. According to data released by the state government the new team has representation from Kutch, Saurashtra, North Gujarat, Central Gujarat and Southern Gujarat districts. There’s 1 Jain, 9 Patidars, 12 from Other Backward Class(OBC), 2 Dalits, 3 Tribals, 2 Brahmins, 3 Kshatriys and 1 Sindhi among 33 ministers/parliamentary secretaries.

Understanding the provision of Parliamentary Secretaries:

Technically, the role of Parliamentary Secretaries is to assist the ministers in their work. Parliamentary Secretaries are also allocated departments that they have to look after under the minister of that department.

The cabinet of state can be two-tier or three-tire. In two-tire ministry only Cabinet Minister and Ministers of State(MoS) are inducted, while in three-tire cabinet, Cabinet Minister, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers.

The Vijay Rupani cabinet like Anandiben Patel cabinet or even Narendra Modi cabinet in Gujarat in the past is two-tire cabinet in which deputy ministers are not included. However Parliamentary Secretaries enjoy the status of deputy minister. They get government car with red beacon atop, office and other facilities.

As per rule, Gujarat cabinet can have maximum 15% of total number of elected MLAs. That means in 182-member Gujarat assembly, maximum number of ministers is 27 including Chief Minister.

Gujarat cabinet including Chief Minister is 25-strong. There is still an opportunity to induct two more ministers.

What to do with rest of the MLAs who need to be accommodated in case it is politically required in order to make balance between castes, groups, regions?

There are ways to do it.

The day Vijay Rupani cabinet took oath, three whips were announced. Chief whip, whip and deputy whip. They all get red beacon cars and other perks. This is 25+3.

Then two party MLAs can be placed as Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Total comes to 25+3+2. BJP governments in Gujarat generally chooses party MLA as Deputy Speaker, otherwise that post can be given to opposition MLA too.

Now come to Parliamentary Secretaries. The government has liberty to appoint Parliamentary Secretaries. Today 8 Parliamentary Secretaries have taken oath. Total red beacons come to 25+3+2+8 = 38.

If 2 ministers, space for which is very much there are inducted to cabinet on any stage in future. The total will be 40.

Then there are MLAs and non-MLAs who are given the status of Minister of State or Deputy Ministers. Former BJP MLAs Kaushik Patel, IK Jadeja, Narhari Amin and some others fall in this category.

By-and-large, out of around 120 MLAs in ruling party, one third can hope for govt car and facilities.

In Delhi, the so-called honest Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inducted as many as 22 MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries. Kejriwal hastily concluded their oath taking soon after Nepal earthquake apparently to escape media coverage of this decision. Kejriwal made appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries without any law allowing for that. The President of India therefore turned down this decision. Gujarat has proper rules in place for appointments of Parliamentary Secretaries.

DeshGujarat