Bhopal, Oct 27 (IANS) No first-time legislators will be included in the much-awaited expansion of the Madhya Pradesh cabinet, slated to take place Wednesday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Tuesday.
“The legislators elected for the first time will not be inducted in the ministry,” he told reporters here.

Chouhan also said the list of those to be inducted in the ministry is yet to be finalised.

The BJP has 144 legislators, including the present 23 ministers. The exclusion of first-time legislators - who number about 70 - would give Chouhan a choice to select candidates from among the remaining 51 members, party sources said.

“Though the party leadership has reservations about obliging first-timers with a cabinet berth, Sartaj Singh and Neeta Pateria may be considered for the cabinet as they have been members of parliament before being elected as legislators,” the sources added.

Meanwhile, hectic parleys are on among BJP leaders to finalise the names of those likely to be inducted into the ministry, with some senior leaders objecting to any of those who were controversial in the previous regime.