Imbalances In Portfolio Distribution To Go: Naidu

United Front convenor N Chandrababu Naidu yesterday said the imbalances in the portfolio distribution among various Front partners in the Union council of ministers will be corrected.

All this will be rectified in due course of time, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said when a journalist pointed out to him that the Samajwadi Party had grabbed most of the important ministries, followed by the Tamil Maanila Congress. The Telugu Desam Party of Naidu with the same strength had a mere symbolic presence in the government.

Naidu was talking to the Press at a Meet the Press organised by the Delhi Press Club yesterday.

 

After the recent portfolio reshuffle, the Samajwadi Party with 17 MPs has got three Cabinet portfolios.

Defence with Mulayam Singh Yadav, communications with Beni Prasad Verma and Petroleum and Natural Gas under Janeshwar Mishra, and its minister of State Salim Sherwani has been shifted to External Affairs Ministry to work directly under Prime Minister I K Gujral.

As against this, the TDP which also has 17 MPs has got comparatively insignificant portfolios.

Though Naidus anger at Prime Minister I K Gujral decision to induct Renuka Chaudhary and then impose it on the TDP as a fait accompli is not denied by his supporters, Naidu chose to deny that he was in any way unhappy over that.

Even PM will not take anybody against my wishes. Mine is a regional party, and nothing moved without the wishes of the leader, Naidu said.

On Laloo Prasads rigid stance that he would not resign as Chief Minister even after CBI charging him in the fodder scam, Naidu said that the Front would never support him on the issue of corruption. As far as his contesting the Janata Dal presidents election was concerned, it was the internal matter of the Dal. But he was hopeful that JD would resolve its problems.

The law will take its own course and the government is committed not to interfere in that, Naidu said.