Human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal has been given the additional charge of the telecom portfolio rendered vacant after A Raja?s resignation late last night. The work allocation, done mainly for administrative convenience during the ongoing Parliament session, also reflects the Congress? desire to keep the telecom portfolio with it, if only for some time.
The move also indicates that a Cabinet reshuffle might not be carried out immediately. Sources said that a comprehensive reshuffle would take place after January 14, wherein portfolios would be allotted differently.
Top sources in the government confirm that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was disinclined to allocate additional charge of the ministry to any of the other DMK cabinet ministers in the government, namely textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran, and chemicals and fertilisers minister MK Alagiri. ?It is no secret that during the time of government formation in 2009, the matter was held up for a week as the Prime Minister resisted the inclusion of Raja and TR Baalu into the Union Cabinet, but he had to give in due to alliance compulsions. This is not 2009, however,? said a top source in the government.
?At the time of the cabinet reshuffle in January, depending on the prevailing equations, the fate of the telecom ministry will be decided. The Prime Minister may offer another ?revenue rich? department to the DMK in place of telecom,? said the source.
As of now, several DMK MPs are in line for inclusion in the Union Cabinet, including M Karunanidhi?s daughter Kanimozhi, former roads and highways minister TR Baalu, TK S Elangovan and Tiruchi Siva.