The expansion of the United Progressive Alliance government in Jharkhand will take place in a day or two, Chief Minister Madhu Koda said on Friday.
"The expansion will be carried out in a day or two. I met UPA leaders Sonia Gandhi and Lalu Prasad in Delhi," Koda, told reporters in Ranchi.
Koda won the confidence vote on Wednesday after taking oath as chief minister two days earlier.
He has three ministers Kamlesh Singh, Enos Ekka and Harinarain Rai in his Cabinet now.
The chief minister now has the task of filling up eight more Cabinet berths as the maximum permissible size of his ministry is 12.
According to sources in the UPA, independent legislators Stephen Marandi, Joba Manjhi, Bhanu Pratap Sahi and Bandhu Tirkey are in the race for ministerial berths.
Marandi said that he was more interested in the speaker's post.
"I have been offered the speaker's post," Marandi told PTI on phone adding, "the Congress is also interested in the same post."
The sources said while Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has been claiming two or three slots, the Rashtriya Janata Dal's quota should be two.
"We are told that we can have two posts. We have left it to our president Lalu Prasad to take a decision on our behalf," senior RJD MLA and former minister Girinath Singh told PTI.
The RJD has seven MLAs, and party sources in Ranchi said there were more than two claimants.
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