Demanding allies force Vajpayee to defer Cabinet expansion

This is the second time that a full-fledged expansion of the Ministry has been postponed. In November last, a proposed expansion was deferred till the end of the winter session of Parliament under similar circumstances.

The Cabinet expansion, planned for January 15, has been deferred and is likely to be carried out by the end of this month, an official spokesperson said without giving reasons.

Only yesterday, the Prime Minister had confirmed in Lucknow that there was a proposal to expand his Ministry on January 15 but had said, “What shape it takes is awaited.”

The conflicting demands surfaced with the Trinamool Congress demanding the key portfolio of Railways, now held by the Samata Party, as a condition for its entry into the Ministry while All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief J Jayalalitha is said to be gunning for the Petroleum Ministry held by her estranged ally Vazhappady K Ramamurthy. Opinion within the BJP was said to be against giving the Railways portfolio to the Trinamool Congress as the Samata Party was an important ally of the BJP in Bihar and it would not be wise to antagonise it.

The party was also reportedly not very keen on conceding Jayalalitha’s demand to divest Ramamurthy of his portfolio keeping in mind the role played by him in curbing Jayalalitha’s clout which led to the disbandment of the AIADMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu.

Discontent was said to be brewing even within the BJP, with a number of hopefuls saying they were not being given their due and their merit not recognised.

The Prime Minister is understood to have held discussions with BJP president Kushabhau Thakre and Home Minister L K Advani on the proposed expansion last night on his return from Lucknow.

In the last `limited’ expansion, three BJP leaders –Jaswant Singh, Jagmohan and Pramod Mahajan — were inducted to fill in “vacancies”.

BJP sources said astrological factors also played a role in the postponement of the Cabinet expansion plans.