Laloo plays hard to get, DMK beefs up squad

MANDATE 2004

A day after Manmohan Singh was appointed Prime Minister, there were some last-minute bargaining by the Congress' allies over the formation of a coalition government at the Centre.

While Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Laloo Prasad Yadav mounted pressure for key portfolios, three front-ranking DMK leaders flew to Delhi to help party leader M Karunanidhi in the finalisation of names of the party's nominees for the central Cabinet.

The RJD yesterday linked its participation in the Manmohan Singh-led coalition government to an economic package for Bihar, a move that prompted senior Congress leaders rushing to mollify its chief Laloo Prasad Yadav.

At a two-hour meeting of the RJD parliamentary party, MPs insisted that the Congress-led government should promise that it would give Bihar its due following the bifurcation of the state and unless such an assurance was given, the RJD would not take part in the government, senior party MP Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told reporters.

As the meeting failed to arrive at a consensus on whether to join the government, it once again authorised their leader to take a decision on the matter.

Soon after the meeting, Yadav's aides spread the news that the RJD supremo was suddenly leaving for Patna, leaving scores of partymen and mediapersons wondering about the move, amid speculation that he was bargaining for home ministry in the Manmohan Singh government. Yadav, however, denied it.

As the news spread like wildfire, senior Congress leader Arjun Singh sent his emissary, who was denied an audience by a reluctant Laloo. Then Singh himself drove to Yadav's residence and he was soon joined by another senior Congress leader RK Dhawan.

As the duo was closeted with Yadav, word came that Congress President Sonia Gandhi wanted to have a telephonic talk with the Bihar leader over the matter.

After meeting the Congress leaders, Yadav told reporters that he was not fighting for any post in the Cabinet.

"I make Prime Minister and ministers, why should I cry over a portfolio. After all we are the largest ally of the Congress when it comes to numbers," he said.

"Ask Sonia Gandhi or any other Congress leader whether I have demanded any portfolio. I want a prosperous Bihar and a strong nation," the RJD president said when asked the reason for his unhappiness.

To a question about joining the Union Cabinet, Yadav said "options were open".

After their brief meeting, Arjun Singh told reporters that there was no differences on the issue of sharing power and he was hopeful that the RJD would participate in the Manmohan Singh-led government.

He said the RJD was one of the oldest allies of the Congress and there was no confusion between the two parties.

Asked if differences had cropped up on sharing of ministerial berths, the veteran Congress leader said: "This is not an issue at all. We never discussed these matters. He never ever sought ministries. The topic did not came up even during this meeting."

Meanwhile, DMK chief Karunanidhi directed four party leaders, including the general secretary, K Anbazhagan, to rush to the national capital.

Since Anbazhagan had engagements in Chennai, he could not come. However, Party Treasurer Arcot Veerasamy, Deputy General Secretary and Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin and Principal Secretary Durai Murugan arrived here.