Vajpayee plans single-tier team

NEW DELHI, March 16: Atal Behari Vajpayee is likely to go in for a 20-member single-tier Cabinet when he is sworn in Prime Minister on Thurs...

NEW DELHI, March 16: Atal Behari Vajpayee is likely to go in for a 20-member single-tier Cabinet when he is sworn in Prime Minister on Thursday. The swearing-in has been scheduled for 9:30 am. The BJP is said to be following the United Front formula of representation according to the number of MPs. As the main party, the BJP will have 11 ministers, including Home and Finance, and nine will come from allied parties.

According to sources, the thinking in the BJP combine is that only Cabinet-rank ministers should be appointed in the first round. President K R Narayanan has requested Vajpayee to appoint a compact Cabinet and an expansion is likely after he clears the vote of confidence. Half of the ministers in the first Cabinet are likely to be from the BJP and the rest will be from the party’s allies.

BJP president L K Advani is being tipped for the Home Ministry though he is also under pressure to accept Finance. Other names under discussion for Finance are Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha, both former finance ministers. BJP leaders said Sushma Swaraj may not be in the Cabinet as she is being considered for the post of Speaker. But this has not been decided yet.

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Murli Manohar Joshi and Sikander Bakht will also be given portfolios in keeping with their seniority. Joshi is reluctant to accept the HRD portfolio even though the BJP-RSS see education as a vital ministry. BJP insiders said Joshi walked out of a party meeting on ministry formation two days ago when it was suggested that he should be HRD minister and called a top RSS leader on his cell phone to complain.

Discussions on Cabinet formation and the national agenda went on throughout the day at Vajpayee’s residence, but much depends on Jayalalitha, who is expected to arrive here tonight from Chennai.

Charlie Kirk fatally shot at Utah Valley University

‘Blood was pouring from his neck’: Eyewitnesses recall Kirk shooting at Utah University

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Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed during a routine campus appearance at Utah Valley University. The shooter is still at large, and two individuals were briefly detained. Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene as the crowd panicked. The attack has drawn comparisons to past political shootings, and authorities are investigating.

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