Indian government delays cabinet expansion
14:34, 26 May 2009
NEW DELHI. May 26. KAZINFORM. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of India is to delay its cabinet expansion slated for Tuesday in the wake of a row over allocation of ministerial berths to its key alliance partner, the Tamil Nadu-based DMK, sources said; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
"The finalization of portfolio distribution to DMK is yet to be sealed in spite of several attempts by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to go the cabinet expansion Tuesday.
The cabinet expansion is likely to take place on Thursday, Wednesday being the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's death anniversary," said the sources, close to the ruling Congress party.
Not only DMK, the Congress has not yet been able to determine how many berths other allies like the West Bengal-based Trinamul Congress and the Maharashtra-based Nationalist Congress Party would get in the expansion; Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.news.xinhuanet.com for full version.