RLD chief Ajit Singh, who joined the UPA formally on Monday, is likely to be sworn in as a Union Cabinet minister this week. Speculation is rife that Mr Singh could be sworn in as civil aviation minister by December 16. President Pratibha
Patil, who is in Amravati, will return on Tuesday. The swearing-in is likely to take place before the President leaves for the presidential fleet review of the Indian Navy in Mumbai on December 19.
Mr Ajit Singh met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday to discuss the issues of his joining the Union Cabinet, sources said.
With the RLD joining the ruling coalition, the UPA’s strength in the Lok Sabha went up from 272 to 277 members. The RLD has five MPs in its kitty.
“Ajit Singh gave a letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi stating that the RLD would like to join the alliance and the latter has agreed to this,” Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said.
The Congress spin doctors were of the opinion that its tieup with the RLD would give the party a major political advantage in western Uttar Pradesh.
Incidentally, Mr Singh would be joining the UPA for the first time. He had been in the Union Cabinets of V.P. Singh, Deve Gowda and Atal Behari Vajpayee.
At this juncture, the UPA consists of the Congress (207), All-India Trinamul Congress (18), DMK (18), NCP (9), Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (3), Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (2), Muslim League Kerala State Committee (2), AIMIM (1), AIUDF (1), Bodoland Peoples Front (1), Kerala Congress-M (1), Nagaland Peoples Front (1), Sikkim Democratic Front (1) and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (1).
Besides, the SP (22), BSP (21), RJD (4) and the JD-S (3) are backing the UPA government from outside.