Madhya Pradesh Babulal Gaur, 86, has resigned along with PWD minister Sartaj Singh.
Highlights
- Home Minister Babulal Gaur, 86, resigned along with minister Sartaj Singh
- Mr Gaur had reportedly refused to step down, say sources
- Rule may also apply at the Centre, on verge of a reshuffle, say sources
Poised for its first cabinet expansion, the two-and-half-year-old Shivraj Singh Chauhan government in Madhya Pradesh is weeding out ministers who are above 75 years in age.
The age bar, set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the BJP came to power, is likely to be implemented again in Delhi where the government is also on the verge of a reshuffle.
The two state ministers who were above the cut-off age, Public Works Department minister Sartaj Singh, 76, and home minister, 86-year-old Babulal Gaur, have resigned, sources said. Mr Gaur had initially refused to resign, saying he felt humiliated by the party's demand, sources said.
If the rule is implemented at the Centre, the list of ministers to be dropped will also have two names - 76-year-old minority affairs minister Najma Heptulla and Kalraj Mishra, the minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, who turns 75 tomorrow
Sources, however, said Mr Mishra, one of the tallest Brahmin leaders from Uttar Pradesh, is unlikely to be dropped. In view of the assembly elections in the state next year, the party will not risk antagonising its traditional votebank.
When the Narendra Modi goverment came to power, the age bar had cancelled out ministry berths for senior leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Shanta Kumar and Yashwant Sinha. A bitter Mr Sinha was heard to remark how BJP leaders above 75 were "declared brain dead on May 26, 2014" -- the day the NDA government headed by PM Modi took oath.
In Madhya Pradesh, Mr Singh and Mr Gaur were asked to step down after Vinay Sahastrabuddhe, the in-charge of party affairs in the state, and Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar held a meeting with party chief Amit Shah yesterday.