New Delhi: In a surprising turn of events this morning, Madhya Pradesh BJP MLA Ramniwas Rawat, formerly a prominent Congress leader, was inducted into Chief Minister Mohan Yadavs cabinet at Raj Bhavan. However, what should have been a routine affair quickly turned chaotic due to procedural mishaps during the oath-taking ceremony. Mr. Rawat was scheduled to take oath as a Cabinet Minister at 9 am in the presence of Governor Mangubhai C Patel, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and other dignitaries. However, at 9:03 am, he was administered the oath for a Minister of State (MoS), a junior post. This error was corrected fifteen minutes later when Mr. Rawat took a second oath, this time as a Cabinet Minister.Questions rise over procedural lapsesThe unusual sequence of events during the oath ceremony has raised questions about procedural lapses and highlighted the unconventional nature of Mr. Rawats induction into the BJP government. He remains a Congress MLA from the Vijaypur Assembly constituency but has joined the BJP and accepted a ministerial position without resigning from his former party.Unprecedented dual roleMr. Rawats induction has placed him in the unique position of holding dual ministerial roles - as both a MoS and a Cabinet Minister simultaneously. This situation arose due to the oversight of not formally resigning from his previous position after the initial incorrect oath. He is now the first person to serve as a minister in a BJP government while still being a Congress MLA. Reaction from Mr. Rawat and CongressMr. Rawat expressed gratitude to the BJP for the ministerial opportunity and criticized his former party, stating, Congress has no right to accuse me. He acknowledged the oath-taking mishap humorously, noting he became the first minister to take oath twice in half an hour.Meanwhile, the Congress has reacted swiftly, filing a petition with Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar to disqualify Mr. Rawat and another leader who recently joined the BJP. Party spokesperson Avaneesh Bundela criticized the BJP government, citing the incident as a mark of negligence in what is supposed to be a government of good governance.Political implicationsMr. Rawat, a six-time MLA from Sheopur district, had joined the BJP in April after serving as the junior Home Minister in the previous Congress government led by Digvijaya Singh. His induction today brings the total number of Cabinet Ministers in the state government to 19 and triggers a by-election for his vacated seat.The circumstances surrounding Mr. Rawats induction have sparked debate and scrutiny, underscoring the complexities and challenges of political transitions in Madhya Pradesh.
