Hard negotiations still on for portfolios

New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) Stuck by 'berth' pangs, the
Congress was Thursday night grappling with allies DMK and
Trinamool Congress who were doing hard negotiations to get
plum portfolios as Manmohan Singh gets ready to be sworn in
Friday for a second consecutive term as Indian Prime Minister.

On a day of conflicting reports, the DMK with 18 MPs,
the third largest constituent in the UPA coalition, was said
to be demanding three Cabinet portfolios, two Ministers of
State with independent charge and two at the Ministers of
State level.

However, among the 'big four' portfolios Finance is
likely to go to Pranab Mukherjee, while Home and Defence would
be retained by P Chidambaram and A K Antony. There is no
finality about who will bag External Affairs for which names
of Kamal Nath and Kapil Sibal are doing the rounds.

DMK chief Karunanidhi's son M K Azhagiri, his grand
nephew Dayanidhi Maran and T R Baalu are among the Cabinet
probables from the party while his daughter Kanimozhi is among
the likely candidates for the MOS slot.

Reports said the Congress was keen to give two Cabinet
berths, four MOS slots including two with independent charge.
Mediators were trying to work out the final modalities of an
agreement.

A scheduled meeting of the Prime Minister with
President Pratibha Patil in the morning, which was later put
off, fuelled speculation that there could be a deadlock over
ministry formation. But sources said that the meeting had
nothing to do with government formation.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who may not
not join the UPA government, held third round of talks with
Congress leaders but dismissed suggestions that she was
bargaining hard for key ministries.

"There is no talk of bargaining (for ministerial
posts). .... We have not discussed this. What they (Congress)
want, they will do. Even if they don't give us anything, we
don't mind," Banerjee told reporters.

However, sources said the party is keen on Railways,
Coal and Mines and Steel portfolios which, it feels, are
critical to West Bengal economy. It was also eyeing the
portfolios of Health and Home Affairs at the Minister of State
level.

Both Dinesh Trivedi and Mukul Roy are the
front-runners for Cabinet positions from the Trinamool
Congress. The party is understood to be expecting at least two
berths in Union Cabinet and three Ministers of State.

While the Congress had suggested that the ministry
formation could be done in two phases, the allies
insisted that the exercise be completed in one go. PTI ARC
AM