NEW DELHI, March 6: AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha is driving a hard bargain with the BJP for her support. She is said to have demanded eight ministryships, including the important finance and industries portfolios, arguing that her 30-MP combine be given the same representation in the BJP-led government as the DMK and TMC were given in the United Front regime.Even as the BJP staked claim to form government in a resolution adopted at a party meeting today morning, the party is likely to be in a fix over allies’ demands for portfolios. The coveted finance ministry, particularly, is becoming a bone of contention. The party is keen to retain the Big Four - home, finance, defence and foreign affairs - for its own nominees. But it may be forced to concede some.Mamata Banerjee too has made her wishes known to the BJP leadership. Sources said she has asked for the constitution of a special committee on West Bengal of which she can be chairperson. She is believed to have conveyed this to BJP president L KAdvani, who urged her to look after West Bengal's interests by being part of the Cabinet. Mamata has also indicated to the BJP leadership that she is opposed to the inclusion of the BJP's only Lok Sabha MP from Bengal Tapan Sikdar in the ministry.The tough stand that both women are taking was in evidence today - neither attended this evening's meeting of the BJP and its pre-poll allies. Though both are currently offering only outside support, Jayalalitha seems to be open to reconsidering her stand. She said in Chennai that the AIADMK would not mind sitting on the Treasury benches if it helped the BJP.At today's meeting it was decided that to form a coordination committee (similar to the UF's steering committee) and frame a national agenda for effective governance which would be endorsed by all allies before the government is formed. All pre-poll allies would be part of the committee though it could be expanded later to include post-election partners, BJP leader Jaswant Singh said after themeeting.After the meeting, it has become clear that Ayodhya, Article 370 and uniform civil code will not find a place in the national agenda, which is expected to be finalised on Monday. The Samata Party, AIADMK and Akali Dal have publicly opposed either one or all of the BJP's pet issues; ``The national agenda will be entirely on the basis of unanimity,'' Singh said.``There will be no controversial issues in the national agenda and nothing controversial was discussed today,'' Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik said when he emerged from the meeting. ``It will be a minimum agenda with basic issues ranging from irrigation to education.''The BJP was represented by Atal Bihari Vajapyee, Advani and Singh, while the other allies had one representative each: Patnaik (BJD), George Fernandes (Samata Party), Ramakrishna Hegde (Lok Shakti), Parkash Singh Badal (Akali Dal), Bansi Lal (Haryana Vikas Party), Madhukar Sarpotdar (Shiv Sena) and V Ramamurthy (Tamil Rajiv Congress).The BJP was expectingMamata Banerjee's envoy, Pankaj Banerjee, but he did not come. Jayalalitha, however, did send senior AIADMK leader V Neduncheziyan to the meeting.Jayalalitha, who is expected here on Sunday, has made it clear to the BJP that as she controls the largest bloc of MPs after the BJP, she expects suitable representation in the government. Since P Chidambaram of the TMC was finance minister in the UF government, she is said to have argued that the portfolio should go to her combine. She has reportedly proposed the name of Subramanian Swamy.Not just that, she is asking for three more cabinet posts and four ministers of state which were given to the DMK-TMC in the UF government. The BJP is also grappling with another demand, that the DMK government be dismissed.Mamata, meanwhile, has indicated that she would not be opposed to the BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Vishnukant Shastri being made a minister. It was Shastri who negotiated the alliance with her Trinamul Congress after she refused to talk to Tapan Sikdar, with whomshe has a mutually antagonistic relationship.The BJP is likely to find Mamata's suggestion for a committee on West Bengal difficult to accept because this could lead to similar requests from other allies, all of whom are regional parties.
