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Unfair!

Serious resentment is brewing among BJP MPs over the party high command's attitude while allotting ministerial berths. Several MPs, in fact, have lodged protests in a disciplined way with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, party president L K Advani, general secretary Kushabhau Thackeray and RSS leaders Professor Rajendra Singh and K C Sudershan.

Media speculations that many more ministers will be inducted from the BJP's coalition partners, and that the Telugu Desam Party and National Conference would also be accommodated, have disappointed aspirants. Vajpayee would also like to keep some slots open for the Trinamul Congress, which may join the government in April.

A secret meeting of BJP MPs belonging to the Bania caste took place at the home of Rajya Sabha member and former president of the party's Rajasthan unit, Ramdas Aggarwal. It decided to lodge protest with the party leadership over the non-inclusion of any member of the Bania community in the council of ministers. The meeting unanimously resolved that their community must be given due representation as they have been supporting the party from the beginning. It said Union minister Ramesh Baish does not belong to the Bania community, that he is a Kurmi from Bhillai. Three ministers from the Kurmi community -- Nitish Kumar, Santosh Gangwar and Ramesh -- have been accommodated.

The names which are doing the round from the Bania community are that of Ramdass Aggarwal, Narendra Mohan and Vijay Goel. If former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Sunderlal Patwa manages to get into Rajya Sabha next month, he will stake his claim for a Cabinet berth.

Similarly, party MPs belonging to the Rajput caste are also unhappy over the non-representation of their community. Though they did not hold any meeting, they also have approached the high command, requesting it to keep this fact in mind when going for ministry expansion. The names which are in the race from the Rajput community include that of Sanjay Singh (Amethi), UP party chief Rajnath Singh, Uttam Singh Pawar (Maharashtra) and Raja Manavendra Shah.

Former deputy minister of finance Digvijay Singh is in the run from the Samata Party quota.

BJP MPs feel the allies are trying to blackmail the party leadership. Jayalalitha alone has taken five berths with the key portfolios of petroleum, surface transport, revenue, insurance, banking, law and company affairs and health and personnel. Defence and railways have gone to the Samata Party. Steel, mines and coal has gone to the Biju Janata Dal. Independents, too, have been given either Cabinet ranks or independent charge.

The prime minister is likely to expand his Cabinet before the Budget session. He may induct 25 more ministers. The BJP allies are now seeking quota for the state minister slots, too.

Besides key positions for the TDP, NC, Trinamul Congress and Haryana Lok Dal, Vajpayee would like to keep some slots open for MPs who may defect from the RJD, SP and RPI. In such a situation, there is not much scope for BJP MPs. People like Shatrughan Sinha, who has been one of its star campaigners, and giant killers like Satraj Singh and Sanjay Singh, who defeated Arjun Singh and Captain Satish Sharma respectively, have been ignored so far. This has generated demoralisation among MPs.

Amongst women, Sumitra Mahajan and Rita Verma are under active consideration. There is also some dissent about Ram Naik, who was keen to be a Cabinet minister. Besides, there is resentment about the berths given to the sons of various leaders.

Rajiv Shukla