Murli Deora is close to breaking the jinx that oil ministers don't get to reprise their role.
Loyalty, experience, and continuity were the hallmarks of the 19-member council of ministers that was sworn in on Friday as prime minister Manmohan Singh assumed office for the second successive term, becoming the only person since Jawaharlal Nehru to do so after serving a full term.
With the first signals from the new government indicating a preference for the status quo, the euphoria of the Congress victory dissipated quickly.
The unresolved squabble with the DMK over portfolios and ministerial candidates took away some of the sheen. But it was the bloated Rajya Sabha presence combined with
lop-sided regional representation that disappointed many in the Congress, especially after a record electoral performance in states like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh,
and Rajasthan.
The official word from the PMO was that there will be a second swearing-in ceremony, possibly on Tuesday, once the imbroglio with the DMK is resolved. The next round could bring some much-needed fizz into the government with the induction of new faces and younger MPs if the message of the polls, for social and economic delivery, is to be translated into action.
The portfolios are expected to be announced over the weekend after the PM and Sonia Gandhi decide the second list of ministers.
Despite an overwhelming 206 MPs in the Lok Sabha, the Congress chose to give seven cabinet berths to Rajya Sabha members.
Two ministers, M Veerappa Moily and SM Krishna, were sworn in from Karnataka, where the party won just six seats, but only one, S Jaipal Reddy, from Andhra Pradesh, where it swept with 33 seats.
There was no representative from Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress registered a stunning tally of 21 after a gap of two decades, and only one Muslim face, Ghulam Nabi Azad, though Muslims voted for the party with both feet across the country.
For the most part, the first cabinet list is old wine in the same bottle with ministers from the outgoing government likely to continue in the same departments, like Pranab Mukherjee in finance, P Chidambaram in home, and AK Antony in defence. Thirteen ministers from the previous setup are back again. The remaining six are new inductees, most of who have been rewarded for loyal service.
The two-stage cabinet formation became necessary because of the face-off with the DMK, as a result of which today’s swearing-in ceremony was a bit of a damp squib.
There was a truncated presence of the allies as only Sharad Pawar and Mamata Banerjee took the oath of office. They are the only ministers with cabinet rank from their parties.
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