Patna,(BiharTimes): After the non-inclusion of Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Shahnawaz Husain in the Narendra Modi cabinet rumours are doing the rounds in the political circle that they are likely to be projected as the chief ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the next year Assembly election.

However, political observers are of the view that this rumour is being spread deliberately by a section of the BJP workers as they are a bit embarrassed and are unable to answer the question as to why both of them have not been inducted into the cabinet, when they both had served in the Vajpayee cabinet more than a decade back.

They are not above 75 and are young, fresh and experienced. “If the party can give such an important portfolio of Human Resources Development to Plus-II pass 38-year old Smriti Irani, who is neither the member of Lok Sabha nor Rajya Sabha what is wrong in making these two powerful leaders of Bihar ministers,” asks an analyst.

Rudy is a giant killer, who defeated none else but former chief minister Rabri Devi, while Shahnawaz is a Muslim face who lost by just over 9,000 votes. Modi, however, opted to make old Najma Heptullah a minister rather than much younger yet experienced Shahnawaz. 

The BJP’s whisper campaign is working overtime to justify the non-inclusion of the two by stating that they are likely to be projected as the chief minister. The argument forwarded by the BJP rank and file is that since the former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi is not acceptable to his own trading community––which form the solid support base of the party––it would not be appropriate to project him as the CM. It is being argued that the traders are angry as SuMo imposed several taxes when he was the finance minister of Bihar till June 16 last year.

The other argument is that SuMo is not acceptable to the likes of Giriraj Singh and Ashwani Choubey, both former ministers and now MPs considered as the Modi loyalist.

But the truth is that there is still a strong lobby who favours Sushil Modi. After all there is no question of the latter serving in any ministry headed by Rudy or Shahnawaz in future.

Several insiders are of the view that the non-inclusion of Rudy and Shahnawaz has nothing to do with their being groomed for the post of CM of Bihar. There is actually some other reasons. The two leaders may just keep their fingers crossed and hope that they may be inducted in the next cabinet expansion.

The present cabinet is too lop-sided and no country can afford to have a part-time defence minister for too long. Not only that there are several states, for example Rajasthan, where the BJP performed extremely well yet not a single MP can find place in the Modi ministry.

So the expansion is very much on card and Rudy and Shahnawaz can wait for it. It would be of concern for the state BJP if they again fail to find place in the Union cabinet.