New Delhi, Oct. 27: Commerce minister Anand Sharma is the frontrunner for external affairs minister though no confirmation came till late evening as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi were expected to meet again to finalise the portfolio distribution.
Several names cropped up during the day for the foreign ministry but Sharma’s was a constant fixture. Sources kept revealing that Sharma, who was vying with Kapil Sibal for the coveted post, had to face stiff competition from Punjab governor Shivraj Patil and Karan Singh today.
Although no official word has come till this evening, and Sharma himself expressed ignorance about any decision. Party sources said he was already packing bags in the commerce ministry. Government sources, however, advised caution as a lot could change in the next 15-20 hours when the portfolios would be formally announced.
Some sections claimed health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, too, had thrown his hat in the ring after his first choice, the railways, appeared out of bounds. Rahul Gandhi is said to be keen on C.P. Joshi retaining railways. Azad, who has been offered petroleum, is said to be asking for more owing to his seniority and experience. Urban development minister Kamal Nath, who was sulking, may be given additional charge of parliamentary affairs.
There is intense speculation about parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Bansal moving to information and broadcasting, a department vacated by Ambika Soni. Jaipal Reddy, who was holding the charge of petroleum, is being considered for HRD. Sibal, who does not want to remain telecom minister, will have to be adequately compensated if he quits HRD.
But there was some clarity about the new faces in the ministry and those who would cease to be ministers. While Soni resigned to take up some important responsibility in the organisation, tourism minister Subodh Kant Sahai was nudged out for his involvement in the controversy surrounding allocation of coal blocks.
The cabinet minister for social justice and empowerment, Mukul Wasnik, and three ministers of state, Mahadeo Singh Khandela, Vincent Pala and Agatha Sangma, also resigned. The President has accepted all the resignations, including that of external affairs minister S.M. Krishna who resigned yesterday. Among the newcomers, the names of Deepa Das Munshi and Abu Hashem Chaudhury from Bengal, Rani Narah from Assam, Manish Tewari from Punjab, Shashi Tharoor and Suresh Kodikunnil from Kerala and K. Rehman Khan from Karnataka are almost final.
Pradeep Kumar Majhi, MP from Odisha’s Nabarangpur district, has rushed to Delhi fuelling speculations that he may be inducted into the Union council of ministers. Majhi, 36, a former youth wing president of Odisha Pradesh Congress, is close to Rahul Gandhi.
However, it remains uncertain whether Srikant Jena, Union minister of state for chemical and fertilisers, would be elevated to the cabinet rank.
