Gandhinagar, May 3: The BJP is in two minds over effecting the promised Cabinet expansion before the budget session which begins at the end of the month.While there is tremendous pressure from ministerial aspirants in the party and the alliance partners, a section of the BJP leadership feels that the expansion should be postponed till the Government passes the acid test of a budget session.The past two days in Gandhinagar have seen hectic lobbying by BJP MPs from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha who are eyeing the loaves of office. And the indications so far are that the leadership is inclined to give in to quieten rumblings of dissatisfaction in the party over the BJP's low representation in the Union council of ministers.Party sources said that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee may go ahead with the expansion next week, after the coordination committee of the ruling alliance meets on May 9.One of the issues expected to be thrashed out at this meeting is the question of proportionaterepresentation for each ally according to its strength in Parliament. The Samata Party National Executive had expressed resentment last week at not being accomodated in gubernatorial appointments despite being the third largest party after the BJP and the AIADMK in the coalition.The immediate spur for considering an expansion comes from the demand of AIADMK leader Jayalalitha to induct her protegee R Srinivasan as the new Minister for Surface Transport in place of Muthiah who was forced to quit after being chargesheeted in a corruption case.She is also pressing hard for the ouster of Urban Development Minister Ram Jethmalani after the recent spat between them. The initiation of an informal inquiry by the Enforcement Directorate today into the FERA violation allegations against him has heightened speculation about his possible exit from the Government.But more than the pressure from Jayalalitha, the BJP is worried about the restlessness among its own MPs who feel that the party has got a raw dealdespite being the leader of the alliance.Among the names being mentioned for possible inclusion are Ram Das Agarwal, Bhavana Chikilia and one of the two recently elected BJP MPs from Jammu & Kashmir.The Samata Party, which is also facing heat from its MPs on the Cabinet issue, is believed to have recommended the names of Abdul Ghafoor and Digvijay Singh.However, while all this positioning is going on, another view in the party advocates exercising caution for the moment. This group include MPs who are already ministers and those who are likely to be given important posts in the new party dispensation under Kushabhau Thakre.The argument of this group is that since both the TDP and the Trinamul Congress are reluctant to join the Government at the moment, it would be wiser to postpone the expansion till the budget session is over.This would also help the Government, whose majority is razor thin, to keep its MPs on a tight leash through the critical budget session by dangling the carrot of aministerial position before them.
