Azad in J038;K, it146;s Cabinet reshuffle time

With the decision on Ghulam Nabi Azad as JK CM behind him, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has turned his attention again to the long awaited...

With the decision on Ghulam Nabi Azad as J038;K CM behind him, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has turned his attention again to the long awaited and frequently deferred Cabinet reshuffle. This has become more urgent now since the post of Minister of Parliamentary Affairs held by Azad has become vacant and the winter session of Parliament is to commence in November.

Bothering the Prime Minister is the question of who can fill the post, sources say. Three names are doing the rounds: Santosh Mohan Deb, MoS independent charge Heavy Industries, Water Resources Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and Suresh Pachauri, who is MoS Parliamentary Affairs.

The PM is not very comfortable with Munshi for a variety of reasons. There is no love lost between him and Pranab Mukherji, who is leader of the House in the Lok Sabha, and that could create problems. Pachauri is too junior for the job, it is felt, and may not be able to handle the allies and the BJP. Santosh Mohan Deb is an old and experienced hand and is from Assam which should also go down well there with the approaching elections in the state. The only reservation being cited about him is his past proximity to Sharad Pawar but then, argue his supporters, many Congress leaders were close to Pawar at one time.

The Volcker report, which named External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh as a 8216;8216;non-contractual beneficiary8217;8217; of Iraqi oil sales, could add a new dimension. If Natwar Singh were to step down8212;there were reports that Congress president Sonia Gandhi was very upset when the disclosure was made8212;the exercise would become a major one requiring the reshuffle of the top four. It could send Pranab Mukherji to External Affairs, Shivraj Patil to Defence, P Chidambaram to Home and the PM may look for a professional for the job of Finance, sources say.

For the moment, the Prime Minister appears to have come to the rescue of Natwar Singh. The beleaguered External Affairs Minister called on the PM and Sonia Gandhi two days ago, and told them that the allegation was politically motivated because of his stand on the Iraq war. An otherwise guarded statement issued by the PM8217;s media advisor ended with the three words that the PM 8216;8216;stands by him8217;8217;. The BJP, however, is upping the ante against Natwar Singh.

The Ministry of Urban Development has also fallen vacant with Azad8217;s exit. The other ministries which are vacant are the Sports8212;after Sunil Dutt8217;s death, it is being looked after by MoS in PMO Prithviraj Chavan8212;and NRI Affairs which was held by Jagdish Tytler who had to quit following the Nanavati report.

JMM leader Shibu Soren is expected to come back to the Union Cabinet and may get the Coal department he headed before he had to resign. Others who may get a Cabinet berth are Ambika Soni, AK Antony or Vayalar Ravi from Kerala, GK Vasan from Tamil Nadu, Gurudas Kamat or Suresh Kalmadi from Maharashtra.

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Azad8217;s exit has posed another dilemma for the PM, and that is to find another Muslim leader of stature to replace him. There is Ahmed Patel but he is the Political Secretary to the Congress President. Power Minister PM Sayeed8212;it was said that the axe may fall on him8212;may now survive.