With the Prime Minister reluctant to take Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren back in the Union cabinet, the Congress leadership is working out a strategy to make him the chief minister of Jharkhand. Congress sources say, the current incumbent, Madhu Koda, might be given a berth in the union council of ministers.
But even to become CM, Soren will have to wait for an indefinite period. The Congress and the Prime Minister are not in a hurry to reshuffle the union cabinet immediately. The party and government brass has other priorities before it contemplates a change in the council of ministers.
Topping that list is the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. According to a senior UPA minister, "the J&K situation is our biggest nightmare at this point. We are devoting our entire attention to defuse the tension there." If the current volatile situation in J&K is normalized, sources suggest there will a reshuffle in September before the monsoon session of the Parliament. A Cabinet reshuffle in August has almost been ruled out.
Party sources indicate, more than Soren, the necessity behind the cabinet reshuffle was to accomodate Samajwadi Party, whose crucial support enabled Manmohan Singh win the trust vote on July 22. But Samajwadi Party too, hasn't made up its mind about joining the government. Mulayam Singh Yadav has indicated to the Congress leadership that he needs some more time to take a final call. "So, to make a cabinet reshuffle at this point is meaningless," said a top source.
Internally, the Congress intends to give a final rejig for the upcoming elections through this cabinet reshuffle which is expected to take place along with another round of organizational reshuffle in the Congress. Congress President Sonia Gandhi, according to sources, favours relieving some of her lieutenants of dual responsibility Leaders like Ajay Maken, Prithviraj Chavan, V Narayanswamy are holding both governmental and organizational charges. As the party is set to face crucial elections in five states in November-December and the Lok Sabha elections anytime after November, Gandhi has to balance the equations in the states. Different faces will be accomodated in the organization and the ministries which would require the party to create more space by dropping a few ministers or organizational in-charges.
As per the law, Manmohan Singh's council of ministers can have 81 members. Already it has 79 members and it can accomodate two more in the current situation. Sources suggest, some ministers might be droped to induct allies like SP and fresh Congress faces. But that is not happening before September.