Uf Abuzz With Talk Of Another Reshuffle

With Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda scheduled to return home from Davos today, the expected changes in the Union council of ministers have become a topic of hot discussion within the United Front.

But the only possibility that is being talked about with a degree of finality is the induction of National Conference MP Saifuddin Soz.

At a recent meeting of United Front leaders, Gowda had stated that a coalition cannot be run with a ministerial strength of only 36.

This has raised the hopes of several MPs from regional parties, particularly those belonging to constituents that could respond to Congress invitations for support, if not outright mergers.

Front sources say Soz is likely to be given the tourism portfolio, but aides of Union minister for tourism Srikanta Jena discount any whittling down of Jenas responsibilities. Soz himself is reported to be not too keen on the tourism portfolio. Besides Soz, the sources say that there is a strong possibility of CPI MP from Kerala V V Raghavan being inducted.

Another name being talked about for induction is former Goa Chief Minister Churchill Alemao of the United Goans Democratic Party. The state, however, is already represented by Ramakant Khalap, Union law minister, of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.

When the present council of ministers was constituted in end-May 1996, smaller parties had a better ratio of representation in terms of their strength in the Lok Sabha. For example, of the four Congress (Tiwari) MPs, two were inducted; of the five Asom Gana Parishad MPs, two were inducted.

But other parties like Tamil Maanila Congress (20 MPs), Telugu Desam (16 MPs) and Samajwadi Party (17 MPs) have only three ministers each in the council.

This imbalance is expected to be rectified by inducting more from such parties. The changes would give more say to the smaller parties, and in turn less significant regions, in the running of the country, a senior minister said.

But at the same time, the portfolios of quite a few ministers are expected to be changed.

This is because of an internal assessment that about 10-odd ministers have been ineffective in their ministries. With the Congress keeping a keen eye on every step of the government, particularly those related to economic reforms, Gowda is said to insisting that his colleagues do not give any reason for the party to withdraw support.

The north-east is expected to be represented more in the council of ministers with the induction of MPs from Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

Now, there two ministers from Assam: Birendra Baishya (steel) and Muhiram Saikia (human resource development).

From Meghalaya, G G Swell (Ind) is a strong contender while from Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Gegong Apang wants Gowda to induct one.

After breaking away from the Congress in mid-1996, Apangs party, the Arunachal Congress, has extended support to the United Front.