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| Wednesday, 26 May 2004 |
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India coalition row resolved, ministers shuffled NEW DELHI, Tuesday (Reuters) A row in India's Congress party-led coalition was resolved on Tuesday after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave in and allowed a key ally to take portfolios of its choice in his council of ministers. "It has been sorted out," said a senior Congress leader after talks between Singh and a leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. Seven ministers from the DMK refused to take office after portfolios were handed out on Sunday, saying they had received less powerful posts than promised. The Congress official said the DMK had been given the ministerial portfolios of shipping and revenue, which they had demanded. A formal announcement would be made later in the day, other officials said. Singh finalised his government line-up on Saturday after many rows and marathon negotiations. The coalition is dominated by Congress but it has more than 15 allies, all with ambitions of getting into the cabinet. While there was no immediate threat to the government from this row, the DMK is a major and influential ally. Although it has only 16 seats in the 545-member lower house, it formed an alliance with Congress in its Tamil Nadu stronghold and the two swept all 39 seats in the region. |
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