New Delhi, November 17
The hype of a Cabinet expansion-cum-reshuffle being undertaken by the Prime Minister tomorrow has turned out to be a non-starter.

“The Cabinet expansion is definitely not taking place tomorrow,” according to authoritative sources. They, however, disclosed that there was every possibility of the Dr Manmohan Singh adjusting or reshuffling the portfolios to fill the gaps in his counsel of ministers.

There have been intense discussions between Dr Singh and UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi over the last 72 hours on going ahead with the Cabinet expansion which has been long overdue. On his part Dr Singh had stated that it had become imperative to fill the gaps in his Cabinet and that he would undertake the expansion before the winter session of Parliament beginning on November 23.

The UN-appointed Paul Volker Committee report on the oil-for-food program in Iraq appeared to have come in the way of expansion as induction of new ministers might pose problems during the Parliament session which is bound to be a stormy one.

Several Congress ministerial aspirants have been cooling there heels and waiting for the important call from the PMO, but they would have to wait for some more time till the situation stabilises at the Centre.

After the government announced a judicial probe and another inquiry of collating the necessary documents and papers connected with the Volcker committee report into Iraq’s oil-for-food scam the Prime Minister does not want to rush into expanding his Cabinet at this critical juncture.

Mr Natwar Singh has already been striped of the MEA portfolio in the wake of the inquiries instituted by the government.

The judicial authority headed by Mr Justice R.S. Pathak, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and a judge of International Court of Justice at the Hague, probing specifically into the Volcker committee report in which the congress and Mr Natwar Singh have been named as non-contractual beneficiaries in the scam.

Clearly, much as Dr Singh would have liked to plug the gap in the council of ministers, he has preferred to go slow in the wake of the upcoming session of Parliament.

Much of the speculation pertaining to Cabinet expansion revolved around whether they would be a new external affairs minister or the Prime Minister would keep this high-profile portfolio under his charge.

JMM’s Sibhu Soren has also been waiting in the wings for a re-entry into the Cabinet but he will have to wait a while longer.

The majority of the new faces were expected to be from the Congress. Dr Singh had underlined the need for providing greater representation to the states and bringing about a balance in his ministerial team.