Babulal Gaur, Sartaj Singh resign after MP Cabinet expansion

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Babulal Gaur, 86, and Power and Development minister Sartaj Singh, 76, have resigned from their posts on Thursday after the Madhya Pradesh government expanded its cabinet. Three new faces – Archana Chitnis, Rustam Singh and Om Prakash Dhurve – have been inducted in the cabinet.

"Senior Ministers Babulal Gaur and Sartaj Singh have sent their resignation to me. I have forwarded it to the Governor. Following orders from the party, Babulal Gaur and Sartaj Singh sent me their resignations," MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

"I have tendered my resignation adhering to the directions given by the party. There is no resentment behind this decision," Babulal Gaur said.

Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya, Harsh Singh, Vishwas Sarang, Lalita Yadav, Sanjay Pathak and Surya Prakash Meena are among those who have been made the Minister of States.

This comes after Shivraj Singh Chauhan government’s decision to weed out ministers above the age of 75 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set the age bar when BJP came to power. The new rule may also be applied in Delhi as there are reports of a cabinet reshuffle.