Date:29/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/01/29/stories/2006012901680300.htm

Back Cabinet expansion likely today

Our Bureau

New Delhi , Jan. 28

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, is likely to expand his Cabinet on Sunday, mainly to fill vacancies that have arisen over time.

Dr Singh had a nearly four-hour long meeting with the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, today and is understood to have finalised the names of the new Ministers.

There is also a possibility that the Prime Minister might change the portfolios of some Ministers though expectations are that major economic portfolios would not be disturbed.

Two important Ministries, External Affairs and Power, are without full-time Cabinet Ministers because of Mr Natwar Singh's resignation over the Iraqi food-for-oil affair and the death of Mr P. M. Sayed last December.

Other vacancies have arisen because of the death last year of Mr Sunil Dutt, while Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad moved to Srinagar as the J&K Chief Minister. Three other Ministers, Mr Shibu Soren, Mr Jagdish Tytler and Mr Jai Prakash Narian Yadav had to resign because of court proceedings, while Mr K. Rehman Khan left the Union Council of Ministers after being elected Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

The expansion is also expected to provide greater regional representation to the Union Council of Ministers as some States have none or few nominees at present. Besides, with Mr Azad shifting to Kashmir and the death of P. M. Sayeed, there is no Muslim representation at the Cabinet level.

The urgency to undertake the exercise tomorrow is because of the President, Mr A. P. J Abdul Kalam, leaving on a 10-day foreign tour on Tuesday.

There will barely be a week on his return before Parliament begins its budget session and that would give very little time to the new Ministers to get familiar with their subjects.

Monday is being ruled out for the expansion because of the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.