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Cabinet to be expanded after Republic Day

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

After announcing and postponing the exercise on a couple of occasions, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will finally expand his Cabinet on January 27, a day after India celebrates its 49^th Republic Day, top government officials indicated today.

The officials told Rediff On The NeT that while all manner of speculation is doing the rounds about why the expansion was postponed again, the prime minister just needed some time to make up his mind whom to include in his council of ministers. He will also consider the opinions of a couple of top political aides, they said.

As for the aggressive bargaining for choice portfolios by the Bharatiya Janata Party's coalition partners, the officials stressed that it is normal for the allies to try and get the best possible deal for themselves.

Asked if the government takes Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's threat to withdraw from the government if her demands (pertaining to pending projects in West Bengal) are not met seriously, the officials said, "That is for the prime minister to decide."

But they pointed out that Banerjee had been making such statements ever since her party agreed to support the ruling coalition at the Centre and "the Cabinet expansion will be smooth and without any hitch".

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