Manmohan Singh sworn in as PM for 2nd term

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was sworn in for a second term Friday, amid a row between his Congress party and a key ally over cabinet posts following their resounding election triumph.

The 76-year-old, soft-spoken economist and 19 members of his cabinet took their oath of office from Indian president Pratibha Patil at the presidential palace in New Delhi. The portfolios of those sworn in have yet to be allocated.

A dispute over cabinet positions clouded the day, with a key regional ally from southern India, the DMK party, threatening to quit the alliance.

Singh is the first prime minister since India's first post-independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru to return to office after completing a full five-year term.

Congress had campaigned hard on a poverty-alleviation platform for India's rural millions, and voters also responded to the image of Singh as a steady, pragmatic leader capable of steering the country through an economic downturn.

His coalition won 262 seats in the 543-member national parliament, just 10 short of the 272 needed for a working majority.

The alliance quickly garnered pledges of support from independents and others to take its voting strength to 322.

But Singh and Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi have had to bargain hard with their electoral partners over the distribution of cabinet positions.

The sticking point in talks with the DMK, the biggest ally, has been over its demand for nine cabinet positions with the Congress willing to concede only six.

"We both have differing perceptions on this," a Congress official told AFP after Singh met senior party colleagues at his residence to try and finalise his cabinet.

"The prime minister thinks the people have spoken in favour of good governance and he intends to focus on performance and accountability while choosing his ministers. That is his prerogative," another Congress source said.

Rahul not keen on joining Cabinet: Manmohan

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday cleared that Rahul Gandhi is not keen on joining his government.

“Rahul Gandhi has so far not agreed to join government, but I have not given up hope,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said shortly after the swearing-in ceremony.

Meanwhile, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also cleared that strengthening the party was Rahul Gandhi’s main responsibility.

Rahul Gandhi did not attend the swearing-in ceremony of PM Dr Manmohan Singh and 19 Cabinet Ministers in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier stated that he was keen on having Rahul in his ministerial team but the AICC General Secretary has been reluctant to take up a position in the cabinet and voiced preference for party work.

Second swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday

NEW DELHI: The UPA-led new government in the 15th Lok Sabha would be formed in two stages with the second swearing-in ceremony being held for some more cabinet ministers as well as Minister of States four days from now.

Indian Congress with its 206 members has emerged far stronger in the new alliance and the allies too are pushing their luck to strike a hard bargain. The DMK, Trinamool (TMC) and the National Conference (NC) are not very happy with the offer made by the Congress. Hectic parleys are on to pacify the allies.

With the top cabinet line up more or less decided, the negotiations have now shifted to the remaining portfolios and MoS posts. Here too allies and Congress are locked in tough negotiations as to who gets what and who corners MoS with independent charge.

The single largest party in alliance Congress has to do a tight rope walk as NC leader Farooq Abdullah as well as many of its own party MPs including the young Turks have been excluded from the first list. From Congress Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot and Jitin Prasada are strong contenders for a ministerial berth. While Praful Patel of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is tipped to retain the high profile civil aviation ministry.