Congress may include only pre-poll allies in new Union Govt

New Delhi, May 17 (PTI) Congress Sunday gave indications
that it may include only pre-poll allies in the new Union
Government leaving out those who had parted company just
before the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) polls --
Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

The party's highest decision-making body, the Congress
Working Committee (CWC), discussed the scenario after the
announcement of the results which have given it a near
absolute majority, but there was no specific mention of
parties or individuals such as Samajwadi Party (SP) or Lalu
Prasad, chief of the RJD.

However, the working committee was emphatic that
discussions would be held on Tuesday with "pre-poll allies",
parties like Dravida Munnetra Kazhgham (DMK), Trinamool
Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), to discuss the
strategy how to go about Cabinet formation.

The hour-long meeting took place immediately after the
SP and Deve Gowda's Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) had offered to
support the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) which is about
11 seats short of 272, which will give the coalition an
absolute majority in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of
Parliament).

Amid reports that the general view within the party was
that Samajwadi Party, which had been a difficult ally, should
be kept out, although it has 23 seats, Congress spokesman
Janardhan Dwivedi said there was no discussion on specific
individual or party in the CWC meeting.

Lalu Prasad, whose RJD has four seats, has clearly
indicated keenness to stay in the new Cabinet. It is, however,
not clear what decision the Congress would take about him.

Dwivedi said the Congress Parliamentary Party will meet
on Tuesday to elect its leader and Chairperson after which
talks will be held with "pre-poll allies" on formalities of
the government formation.

Asked what he meant by pre-poll allies, he said "you
know what is the meaning of pre-poll allies.... I am not going
to answer any question regarding any individual."

He said numbers for the government is not a big issue.

Sources said a section of CWC members was opposed to
including RJD and SP in the Cabinet. Their argument is that
the voteshare of Congress is the same as that of RJD and SP in
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and the Congress should keep distance
from these parties to protect its interest.

To a question whether there was any discussion about
Rahul Gandhi becoming the Prime Minister, Dwivedi said "you
know, Manmohan Singhji is going to be the Prime Minister. PTI