New Delhi:
Ten days after the election results, the process of government formation is still incomplete. But the wait for ministers and portfolios could finally be over in a day and a half.
The next group of ministers will be sworn in on Thursday. Top Congress leaders met on Tuesday to finalise cabinet berths for the party's own MPs and the allies. But the jostling is still on. Trinamool leaders and the DMK's Dayanaidhi Maran met Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday but for all those MPS waiting to know whether they are in or out, the wait has perhaps been excruciating.
Mamata Banerjee took over as railway minister on Tuesday. She is perhaps one of the lucky ones as she has got her berth and department.
On Tuesday, Sonia Gandhi, the Prime Minister, and other top leaders finalised the others who should be inducted.
They have taken about ten times in the last four days to decide.
So why has it taken the Congress 10 days after a decisive win to do so?
The hunt for Congress ministers have been far from easy.
Insiders say, Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi are being cautious.
- They have roughly 300 MPs of the two Houses to choose from
- Background checks are being conducted on all the probables, because the PM wants to ensure an untainted cabinet
- They are sticking to the one person, one post formula
- Adequate representations has to be given to regions and castes, specially to states where elections will be held within a couple of years like Maharashtra and Haryana
Even the bulk of the ministers already sworn-in are waiting nervously to know their portfolios. That may only be known on Thursday.
While the Congress MPs are nervous, the UPA parties like the DMK are flying in their loved ones.
For once, the allies have not been making news as their berths and portfolios have largely been decided.
Forty-eight hours to go, Congress sources are not ruling out last minute changes. Intense lobbying is on.