ID :
61048
Mon, 05/18/2009 - 12:45
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/61048
The shortlink copeid
Congress, UPA allies to meet soon to discuss govt formation
New Delhi, May 17 (PTI) With close to a majority in the
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition bag, the focus now
shifts to government formation at the Centre and portfolios
for Congress and its allies including Trinamool Congress and
Dravida Munnetra Kazhgham (DMK) which have done well.
High among the probables that may be in the new Cabinet
are Congress leaders Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, Kamal
Nath, Kapil Sibal, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief
Sharad Pawar, Praful Patil, DMK leaders T R Baalu, A Raja and
Dayanidhi Maran and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister
Farooq Abdullah, all fresh from their victory in the
elections.
New entrants being mentioned in political circles are
Trinamool chief Mamta Banerjee, whose party with 19 seats is
the biggest constituent of the UPA after Congress and DMK's M
K Azhagiri, son of DMK chief M Karunanidhi.
After the formality of resignation of India's Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh Monday morning, the UPA leaders are
meeting here in the evening to decide on the composition of
the ministry and on the issue of whether the coalition should
take support from outside the grouping, sources said.
The first meeting of the newly-constituted Congress
Parliamentary Party (CPP) is expected to convened in a day or
two to elect its leader. Singh, who is already the Prime
Ministerial candidate of the Congress, is also likely to be
elected by the Member of Parliaments (MP) at a joint meeting
of the UPA parties.
With Congress alone getting 205 seats and the UPA
mustering 260, just a dozen short of the magic figure of 272
in the 543-member Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament), the
ruling grouping appears not much worried about gathering
further numbers.
The UPA is said to be comfortable with extension of
voluntary support being considered by small groups like
three-member Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and the confidence that
support could be taken from among independents who account for
about ten in the new House.
UPA sources feel that the government need not depend on
support from groups like Samajwadi Party (SP) which has won 23
seats in Uttar Pradesh as part of the Fourth Front.
However, the SP is keen to remind the coalition that it
played a crucial role in saving the government last year on
the nuclear deal and that should be factored in its decision.
The coalition leaders may meet the President on Tuesday
to stake claim and the new government may be formed by
mid-week.
The name of Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek
Singh Ahluwalia, who has been helping the Prime Minister on
economic matters, is being mentioned as a possible Finance
Minister, a portfolio now being held by Pranab Mukherjee as an
additional charge.
Ahluwalia, who had worked with Singh as Finance
Secretary when he was Finance Minister, has been actively
helping the Indian Prime Minister especially after the global
financial crisis and the economic downturn.
At the Cabinet level, name of Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was
in-charge of southern state of Tamil Nadu during elections,
figures as a likely induction into the ministry.
If Ahluwalia gets Finance, then it could be status quo
for Mukherjee, Chidambaram and Kamal Nath in their portfolios
of External Affairs, Home and Commerce.
Sources said it would be for Sonia Gandhi to take a
decision whether to retain Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief
Lalu Prasad, who has good equation with her but parted ways
with the Congress to fight elections as part of the Fourth
Front.
She called up Prasad in Patna Sunday and asked him to
attend the Cabinet Meeting Monday.
On his part, Prasad said his joining the Cabinet was not
an issue right now. "I am going to attend the meeting of the
Fourth Front to discuss our future course of action and the
electoral reverses suffered in Bihar."
Another old ally, NCP, which won nine seats, is likely
to get key portfolios for its leaders Sharad Pawar and Praful
Patil, who now have Agriculture and Civil Aviation
respectively.
The names of young Member of Parliaments (MP) like
Jyotiraditya Scindia,Jitin Prasada, both Ministers of State in
the outgoing government, Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora are
doing rounds for inclusion.
The Prime Minister has expressed his desire to have
Rahul Gandhi in the cabinet but the young leader has given
enough indication that he would like to work for the party.
PTI
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition bag, the focus now
shifts to government formation at the Centre and portfolios
for Congress and its allies including Trinamool Congress and
Dravida Munnetra Kazhgham (DMK) which have done well.
High among the probables that may be in the new Cabinet
are Congress leaders Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, Kamal
Nath, Kapil Sibal, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief
Sharad Pawar, Praful Patil, DMK leaders T R Baalu, A Raja and
Dayanidhi Maran and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister
Farooq Abdullah, all fresh from their victory in the
elections.
New entrants being mentioned in political circles are
Trinamool chief Mamta Banerjee, whose party with 19 seats is
the biggest constituent of the UPA after Congress and DMK's M
K Azhagiri, son of DMK chief M Karunanidhi.
After the formality of resignation of India's Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh Monday morning, the UPA leaders are
meeting here in the evening to decide on the composition of
the ministry and on the issue of whether the coalition should
take support from outside the grouping, sources said.
The first meeting of the newly-constituted Congress
Parliamentary Party (CPP) is expected to convened in a day or
two to elect its leader. Singh, who is already the Prime
Ministerial candidate of the Congress, is also likely to be
elected by the Member of Parliaments (MP) at a joint meeting
of the UPA parties.
With Congress alone getting 205 seats and the UPA
mustering 260, just a dozen short of the magic figure of 272
in the 543-member Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament), the
ruling grouping appears not much worried about gathering
further numbers.
The UPA is said to be comfortable with extension of
voluntary support being considered by small groups like
three-member Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and the confidence that
support could be taken from among independents who account for
about ten in the new House.
UPA sources feel that the government need not depend on
support from groups like Samajwadi Party (SP) which has won 23
seats in Uttar Pradesh as part of the Fourth Front.
However, the SP is keen to remind the coalition that it
played a crucial role in saving the government last year on
the nuclear deal and that should be factored in its decision.
The coalition leaders may meet the President on Tuesday
to stake claim and the new government may be formed by
mid-week.
The name of Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek
Singh Ahluwalia, who has been helping the Prime Minister on
economic matters, is being mentioned as a possible Finance
Minister, a portfolio now being held by Pranab Mukherjee as an
additional charge.
Ahluwalia, who had worked with Singh as Finance
Secretary when he was Finance Minister, has been actively
helping the Indian Prime Minister especially after the global
financial crisis and the economic downturn.
At the Cabinet level, name of Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was
in-charge of southern state of Tamil Nadu during elections,
figures as a likely induction into the ministry.
If Ahluwalia gets Finance, then it could be status quo
for Mukherjee, Chidambaram and Kamal Nath in their portfolios
of External Affairs, Home and Commerce.
Sources said it would be for Sonia Gandhi to take a
decision whether to retain Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief
Lalu Prasad, who has good equation with her but parted ways
with the Congress to fight elections as part of the Fourth
Front.
She called up Prasad in Patna Sunday and asked him to
attend the Cabinet Meeting Monday.
On his part, Prasad said his joining the Cabinet was not
an issue right now. "I am going to attend the meeting of the
Fourth Front to discuss our future course of action and the
electoral reverses suffered in Bihar."
Another old ally, NCP, which won nine seats, is likely
to get key portfolios for its leaders Sharad Pawar and Praful
Patil, who now have Agriculture and Civil Aviation
respectively.
The names of young Member of Parliaments (MP) like
Jyotiraditya Scindia,Jitin Prasada, both Ministers of State in
the outgoing government, Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora are
doing rounds for inclusion.
The Prime Minister has expressed his desire to have
Rahul Gandhi in the cabinet but the young leader has given
enough indication that he would like to work for the party.
PTI
