The almost five-month-old government of Chief Minister Thakur Sukvinder Singh Sukhu is likely to have a cabinet expansion that has been on the cards for quite some time.

Sukhu, on Wednesday, met Himachal Pradesh in-charge Rajiv Shukla in New Delhi and later spoke to media persons hinting at inducting more ministers. The cabinet expansion is considered politically important since it will be undertaken keeping in mind the parliamentary elections due in 2024.

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The Congress is already upbeat with the third victory in a row after winning by-polls in three Assembly seats and one MP seat (Mandi) in 2021, state Assembly elections in 2022, and the recently held Shimla Municipal Corporation elections.

However, it is still staring at a tough challenge to strike a balance between regions, caste, and factions of CM and State Congress President Pratibha Singh.

Moreover, after the party’s first cabinet expansion in the first week of January, it has often been targeted by the Opposition for imbalanced regional representation to various regions.

The party came to power by winning 40 seats out of 68 assembly segments in the elections held in November last. Presently, the strength of the cabinet is nine, including the chief minister and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri. Three ministerial berths are still vacant as the maximum number of ministers cannot exceed 12.

In a bid to accommodate legislators, the Congress government appointed six CPS. However, it has been challenged by 12 MLAs of the opposition BJP in the High Court. They have also challenged the appointment of a Deputy Chief Minister as well.

The ministers inducted earlier include five Rajputs, Brahmin, and one each from Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled Caste, and OBC.

There are many aspirants for the ministerial berth around six MLAs most of whom are second and third-time MLAs and former ministers.

Ahead in the race for the cabinet post include ex-Minister Sudhir Sharma (Dharamshala in Kangra district) elected for the fourth term, Rajesh Dharmani (Ghumarwin in district Bilaspur) former Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS), and Rajinder Rana (Sujanpur in Hamirpur district) both third term MLAs, second time MLA Yadvender Goma (Jaisinghpur Kangra district), two-time MLAs Sanjay Rattan (Jawalamukhi ) and presently appointed as CPS Kishori Lal (Baijnath) both from Kangra district.

The most politically significant assembly constituency that Kangra has given Congress 10 seats out of 15 had been given only one legislator in the cabinet of Chief Minister Sukhu and it is likely that another legislator will likely find a place in the cabinet expansion.

There are four MLAs from the Kangra district alone who are front runners for the ministerial berth.