Our Political Bureau

New Delhi, June 11: It now transpires that Samata leader and former defence minister George Fernandes, indeed, held up the cabinet reshuffle slated for June 4 or 5 .

Just after the prime minister declared that upon his arrival from Malaysia he would undertake a reshuffle of the Union cabinet, Mr Fernandes set in motion his move towards a return to the government.

The former defence minister, knowledgeable sources confirmed, met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, as also home minister LK Advani, ostensibly in connection with the ongoing Manipur crisis, but indirectly pleading his case for return to the Union cabinet.

Mr Fernandes is said to have pleaded that he got no notice from the judicial commission enquiring the Tehelka episode, which, in his opinion, was reason enough to conclude that he was out of the murky affair.

An exercise to sort out the imbroglio began with Mr Vajpayee consulting the home minister on the issue, apart from talking to senior law officers. According to sources, opinion of senior Sangh Pariwar leaders was also obtained hurriedly and the consensus, reportedly, was that induction of Mr Fernandes in the Union Cabinet at this stage, would not only be improper but give an impression of buckling under pressure.

The prime minister was left with no alternative but to postpone the reshuffle.

The situation has now changed and Mr Fernandes appears to be on the receiving end.

Only last week, the judicial commission probing the Tehelka tapes has issued a notice to Mr Fernandes. The former defence minister is now obliged to reply to the notice in the form of an affidavit.

Going by past precedence, the commission has to go into the details of the reply, and, if necessary, begin a cross-examination.

All this will take time and Mr Fernandes has no alternative but to wait, despite the fact that the prime minister is himself eager to take him back as soon as he can.

Both BJP and Samata circles admit that the dice is loaded against Mr Fernandes.

The hardcore section of the BJP owing allegiance to Mr Advani were upset with him after he made an issue of the Manipur developments. He particularly annoyed Mr Advani, who is said to be the architect of the political development in the north-eastern state.

He was reportedly keen to install the first ever BJP government in the insurgency-ridden north-east.