Cong MPs happy with anything, allies play hard to get

New Delhi: Congress is finding it hard to please all its allies. He might be made in-charge of Civil Aviation again, but NCP leader Praful Patel said he was hopeful of being elevated to another ministry.

"In terms of a coalition, there are always some issues. It's a give and take and I don't think we are too demanding. I particularly would have been happier with an elevation but that doesn't mean that I am unsatisfied or unhappy," he said.

The NCP is not particularly happy with the new arrangement, but another ally is fully satisfied.

The DMK now has three cabinet berths which will go to Dayanidhi Maran, A Raja and Karunanidhi's son Azhagiri.

The party will also get four Minister of State (MoS) berths, which will go to S S Palanimanickam, MoS Finance in the last Cabinet; D Napoleon, the Tamil film actor-turned-politician who has won a Lok Sabha seat for the first time; S Jagathraksha-kan, a former AIADMK loyalist and S Gandhiselvan, the Vanniyar face for his party.

Another important ally these elections and someone who's made quite a comeback is the Trinamool Congress.

Party leader Mamata Banerjee, the Railway Minister is the only Cabinet minister. The party has been given six Minister of State berths. These will go to:

• Saugata Roy, the senior Trinamool leader who has won from Dum Dum
• Dinesh Trivedi, a two-time Rajya Sabha MP
• Sisir Adhikari, a Tumkur candidate who led the Nandigram movement
• Sultan Ahmed, who has been elected the deputy leader of the Trinamool legislature party
• Mukul Roy, the general secretary of the Trinamool
• Mohan Jatua, a 71-year-old retired IPS officer

Meanwhile, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor says that he is open to any portfolio the Prime Minister would give him. "I have no preference for any portfolio," he stated.

Congress MP Sachin Pilot too stated, "Let the Prime Minister decide what I shall get. I am just happy at being given an opportunity to discharge responsibilities."

And continuity with change, that's what this mix of experienced and young ministers will stand for, said Congress MP Jitin Prasada.

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