Rjd, Cong Brass In No Hurry To Go In For Expansion In Bihar

IT MAY be a season of sleepless nights for a huge body of Minister-wannabes in Bihar but indications are that neither the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leadership nor the Congress High Command is keen for an early expansion of the newly constituted Rabri Devi Ministry.

It is almost certain now that the new Council of Ministers will take a definite shape only after talks on the subject between RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Mr. Yadav's trip to New Delhi for this purpose is expected to materialise only after the Holi festival.

As such, sources in the two parties say, the earliest date by which the expansion may be realistically expected is March 22.

 

This date is crucial, as it also happens to be the last date for the withdrawal of nominations for the ensuing Rajya Sabha elections. The timing of the expansion may be linked to certain developments that may or may not take place by this date.

The sources claim that if Kamala Sinha, who was named as the JD-U's Rajya Sabha nominee but failed to secure the party's authorisation, pulls out of the contest by March 22 then voting may not be required at all.

This will in all probability clear the decks for the Cabinet expansion.

If Mrs. Sinha remains in the fray, the expansion may be deferred till after the RS polling on March 29 so as to keep the more ambitious of the Ministry-aspiring MLAs on a leash.

Sources say neither Sonia Gandhi nor many other CWC members are fully convinced by Bihar Congress leaders' argument that all 22 party MLAs should be made Ministers to ensure defections in the CLP.

This proposal may ultimately be carried. But as of now, a formal decision on this is awaited. Similarly, Laloo Prasad Yadav may utilise this delay to work out his strategy on how to put in place some of the potentially troublesome former Ministers in his own party.

Another topic that awaits discussion during the coming Sonia-Laloo meeting(s) is the reported CBI move to chargesheet the RJD chief and his Chief Minister wife in what has come to be known as the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case. Mr. Yadav is expected to seek Congress support for raising a hue and cry in Parliament over this move to 'victimise' him.

Bihar Congress leaders, however, appear divided over the issue with dissenters expected to renew their call for snapping ties with the RJD once the chargesheeting comes about and the pro-RJD group jumping to Mr. Yadav's defense. BPCC general secretary Shakeeluzzaman was first of the block on Saturday by describing the CBI move as 'politically-motivated'.

The official Congress leadership is also keen to formalise a Congress-RJD co-ordination committee to oversee the functioning of the State Government. The BPCC president, CLP leader, party leader in the Legislative Council and some other senior Congressmen are expected to be part of this panel.

For accommodating technocrats, a proposal is under active consideration to appoint specialised commissions that would play advisory roles to crucial State Government departments.

Their heads may be given the status and privileges of Ministers, according to highly placed Congress sources here.