It's been yet another difficult week for the Congress. From the Rashtrapati race to a reshuffle of ministers to the reshuffle of governors, India's oldest party has been walking the political tightrope. Catch up on the latest political gossip in Dilli Gupshup...
Sidhu, who had been at loggerheads with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, had stayed away from all Congress activities ever since he resigned as cabinet minister last year.
The expansion was the first by Sarma since he assumed chief ministership of the state about 13 months ago.
Michael Lobo, who resigned as deputy speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, and three of the 10 MLAs who joined the BJP -- Chandrakant Kavlekar, Jeniffer Monserratte, Philip Neri Rodrigues -- were sworn in as new ministers.
As the Congress brass is gearing up for the Cabinet reshuffle after the current Parliament session, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has sought TC chief Mamata Banerjee's suggestions for her party's new nominee. Banerjee has conveyed to the PM and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that she has nominated Sudip Banerjee for this slot.
Congress is still undecided about its move
With the BJP's strength in the 40-member Goa assembly increasing to 27 with two-thirds of Congress legislators joining it, the Sawant government does not need allies' support any longer.
The Congress vice president has taken up the daunting task of bringing in a sea change in the working of the party, but also faces opposition from some old guards and regional satraps, notes Anita Katyal.
Sonowal, a law graduate, is considered to be a rarity -- an honest politician who also worked to unite different communities with his oft-repeated lines 'Barak-Brahmaputra-plains-hills'.
"Honest ministers were demoted and punished (in Cabinet reshuffle) while those who matter in elections are allotted berths in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet," he said. Advani said he was disappointed with the "spate of scams tumbling out of the Centre's closet".
Ruling out early elections, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Sunday that expansion of his Council of Ministers would probably be the last.
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said he has recommended the name of his party spokesman Tariq Anwar for a ministerial post in the proposed Cabinet reshuffle at the Centre.
A Congress Rajya Sabha member has made a sensational claim that berths in the Upper House are available for Rs 100 crore, triggering a controversy with the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday slamming the ruling party at the Centre for bringing politics to "such a low level".
'The BJP has sent out a message that its allies are at its mercy.' 'The allies cannot pressurise or bargain with the BJP any more,' says Mohammad Sajjad.
Far more important than governance is to ensure how different states get necessary representation a'The pressure to expand the council of ministers will come from states where the BJP has formed a government after ousting the Congress,' predicts A K Bhattacharya.
Parliament proceedings were adjourned for the day following disruptions by Opposition parties which raised slogans on the Pegasus snooping row and the farmers' issue by gathering in the Well of the House.
Is Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi listening to the right people before making crucial decisions? Renu Mittal reports.
His visit comes close on the heels of the party holding a series of review meetings in Lucknow, which had fuelled speculation of a ministerial reshuffle in the state.
From the 'group of 23' leaders, who had written letter to Gandhi seeking Congress' overhaul, Azad and Sharma continue to be regular members of the CWC,
Among the other names tipped to make it to the Cabinet are Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sarbananda Sonowal, Baijayant Panda.
His likable boy-next-door face and casual approach to public speaking have a unique appeal for the younger generation, but it stops there, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
"I am very excited about joining the TMC. I will work for the development of Bengal," he said.
Highly-placed party sources gave this warning in the context of Kamat reportedly sulking over not not being made a Cabinet minister in the reshuffle of portfolios on Tuesday.
'How and why did we lose so many seats in places where we were expected to win?'
Nine ministers of cabinet rank and four ministers of state were inducted at the swearing in ceremony at Raj Bhavan with Governor Vajubhai Vala administering the oath of office and secrecy.
The much-talked about expansion-cum-reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers could be held this week or after July 8.
A meeting of the Congress top brass is scheduled for Saturday evening amid talk that a decision on the removal of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and shifting of beleaguered Law Minister Ashwani Kumar is on the cards.
The much-awaited Karnataka Cabinet expansion would take place on Wednesday with the induction of 7-8 ministers, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Amarinder Singh had accepted Sidhu's "one-line" resignation and forwarded it to Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore who conveyed his acceptance of the same.
Addressing a meeting of AICC general secretaries and state-incharges which she presided over, Gandhi also alleged that the country was being ruled by a government which was "systematically" handing over the rights of citizens to a handful of crony capitalists.
With the Pradesh Congress Committee presidents in at least eight states yet to be appointed, All India Congress Committee general secretaries and other office-bearers in line to be changed, Congress chief ministers in the firing range with party MLAs wanting a change, a large number of gubernatorial appointments yet to be made and a reshuffle of the council of ministers on the cards, Congress president Sonia Gandhi appears to be in no hurry to enforce the required changes wit
Former United Progressive Alliance ally Trinanmool Congress on Sunday said West Bengal was "thoroughly deprived" in the reshuffle of the Union council of ministers as none was made a Cabinet minister and the three Congress leaders made ministers of state were there only to "needle" TC.
'Modi is now the biggest messiah of OBCs and Dalits as V P Singh once was.'
During the Cabinet reshuffle, the "give and take" amongst the trio of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi has resulted in a new paradigm of power within the Congress and the government, notes Sheela Bhatt.
The Ashok Gehlot camp has been saying that they enjoyed the support of 109 MLAs, a claim contested by the Pilot loyalists. In the run-up to the Congress Legislature Party meeting in Jaipur on Tuesday, Pilot loyalist Ramesh Meena said, "A floor test should be conducted in the assembly. This will expose the claim that the Ashok Gehlot government has the support of 109 MLAs."
The senior Congress leader asserted that those calling for reform should have had a discussion with others as well.
The prime minister, however, refused to disclose the date of the reshuffle.
Sources close to Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi allege that the sex CD is part of a political conspiracy to tarnish him and ensure that he is not a candidate for ministership in the reshuffle. Renu Mittal reports
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday held parleys with some Union ministers and senior party leaders amid indications of a Cabinet reshuffle.
With speculations rife about a Union Cabinet reshuffle, the Congress has discussed the issue with Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam, the largest ally of the United Progressive Alliance after the exit of the Trinamool Congress. Union Minister V Narayansamy called on DMK chief M Karunanidhi in Chennai on Tuesday, but the latter is learnt to have turned down the offer for the induction of his party MPs in the Manmohan Singh-led Cabinet, party sources said.
