Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who wanted to expand his Cabinet on Monday, will now undertake the exercise after May 19, when he returns from Manali, Himachal Pradesh, according to an official.

The exercise was postponed due to the ongoing visit [May 10-15] of Mozambique President Joaquim Alberto Chissano, the official told rediff.com

Bharatiya Janata Party president M Venkaiah Naidu's announcement on Monday that his party will jointly agitate with the Trinamool Congress against the 'rigged' panchayat elections in West Bengal indicates that Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee may be inducted into the Cabinet.

In recent months Naidu has been supporting Banerjee, a sure sign that her return to the National Democratic Alliance is imminent.

She had virtually cut off ties with the BJP, first by opposing the bifurcation of the Eastern Railways and later by saying that her party would stay out of the NDA till the issue was resolved to the 'Trinamool's satisfaction'.

A BJP national general secretary told rediff.com that there was considerable jockeying by aspirants in the NDA for becoming a minister.

He however, did not wish to comment on media reports that Mamata would in all probability get the rural development portfolio when the prime minister expanded his union council of ministers.