Vajpayee defers Cabinet expansion
In a dramatic development, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today decided to defer the proposed Cabinet expansion till after the winter session of Parliament beginning on
November 30.
The expansion was put off under pressure from the Akali Dal which
wanted the exercise to be deferred till the Udham Singh Nagar issue
was settled, party sources said.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal met the prime minister
this afternoon and urged him to defer the expansion as induction of
any Akali leader at this stage would be construed as a compromise
on the Udham Singh Nagar issue on which the Akali Dal had
threatened to withdraw support to the government.
Significantly, a three-member committee, formed following the
Akali leaders' discussions with Vajpayee yesterday, was directed
to submit its report on the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in the
proposed Uttranchal state, by November 30.
No fresh date has yet been finalised for the ministerial expansion, Bharatiya Janata Party sources said.
Official sources, however, said the coalition government's coordination committee will meet on Friday, as scheduled.
Highly placed sources in the ruling alliance said the expansion of the Vajpayee ministry was
deferred following differences between the coalition partners and a
clamour for ministerial berths in the BJP.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, though
keen to have three more ministerial berths, was understood to be
insisting on a review of portfolios allotted to its allies in Tamil Nadu.
Sources said the Samata Party wanted four more ministerial berths in
addition to the two it already has. The party has 12 MPs in the Lok
Sabha. The Biju Janata Dal was willing to settle for two more berths.
There are around two dozen ministerial aspirants in the BJP, the sources
said.
ALSO READ:
Vajpayee tries to midwife allies' berth pangs
Tell us what you think of this report
|