PM scouts for new foreign minister

With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said to be eager to induct a full-fledged external affairs minister in the next round of Cabinet expansion, the forthcoming biennial elections for the three Rajya Sabha seats from Delhi have assumed significance.

According to Congress sources, the two incumbents, Karan Singh and Janardan Dwivedi, are likely to be re-nominated, while there is uncertainty about the party's nominee for the third seat, which was held by PM Sayeed who passed away recently.

Party Spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi and UP Congress chief Salman Khursheed were said to be the frontrunners for the third slot. "If Khursheed were to be the party's nominee for the third seat, he could also be the frontrunner for the Cabinet slot vacated by K Natwar Singh," a Congress leader said.

Although Karan Singh was also said to be interested in a Cabinet berth, especially the external affairs portfolio, Khursheed stood a better chance, given his past experience as the minister of state for external affairs, according to a Congress leader.

Besides being viewed as a better administrator than an organisation man, the UPCC chief is also said to be interested in shifting back to New Delhi, according to sources.

The suspense about the nominees will, however, be over by Wednesday as the last day for filing nominations is December 28. Elections are scheduled for January 7. As for the election results, the Congress is sure to retain all the three seats. Since there will be separate elections for the three seats, all it requires is only a simple majority for the party to romp home.

In 1994, the Delhi High Court had dismissed a petition by the Congress, which had argued that these seats should be filled up through common election, since elections to the Rajya Sabha were being held under the system of proportional representation.

The loss in the court, however, proved to be a blessing in disguise for the party.

Had there been common elections for the three vacancies from Delhi, the Opposition could have managed to secure one out of the three seats. But, owing to separate elections, the ruling party was set to capture all the three.