Cong: Rebellion nipped in bud with reshuffle stroke

And, Soren’s single-point agenda of restoration of his ministerial berth being fulfilled, he, too, is happy.

Only NCP chief Sharad Pawar and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, who were trying to brew trouble, were left out.

Alarm bells rung for the Congress when Laloo, after discussions with Pawar and Rao, had said in December there was a need for them to club to see ‘‘how the CMP was implemented’’ because they had to run the government for five years. Besides, Rao had also hinted at a meeting of smaller UPA partners in January and mentioned ‘‘lack of co-ordination’’ between them and a need for review of the CMP.

Pawar was emerging as the nucleus of the group. Identifying himself with Rao’s demand for Telengana statehood, he had addressed a joint rally with him in Warangal last July.

Soren vented his feelings at a meeting of UPA saying that he was asked to quit to take up chief ministership of Jharkhand. “But today, I am neither here nor there,” he had said.

Laloo was keen on making his presence felt to overcome the demoralisation following his rout in the Bihar polls.

Seeing potential for trouble, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi have placated Laloo (who has 23 MPs) and JMM (five MPs). Pawar and Rao, with their gameplan having been scuttled, are now left with no choice but wait for perhaps another round at another time.