Amid reports of cabinet expansion, Himachal CM meets prime minister

Amidst reports of cabinet expansion in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday. An official spokesperson said Thakur thanked the PM for visiting the state to inaugurate the Himachal Rising Global Investors' Meet earlier this month.

However, the official spokesperson did not mention anything about the the cabinet expansion. The spokesperson said the minister also met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, requesting for speedy clearances of projects submitted to the Centre.

He said discussions were held regarding Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala ropeways and overhead mass rapid transportation projects. Talking to PTI on October 22, Thakur had said the Himachal Pradesh cabinet would be expanded anytime after results of the assembly bypolls were declared on October 24.

The exercise is fill two ministerial berths, which have been lying vacant for the past several months. Anil Sharma, who was the power minister in the state government, had to resign after his son contested on the Congress ticket from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat this year.

Anil had refused to campaign for the BJP candidate from Mandi, Ram Swaroop Sharma. Kishan Kapoor, who was the Dharamshala MLA and civil supplies minister in the state government, had resigned after he was elected to the Lok Sabha in May from Kangra.