Dumped Cong seniors may find room in Raj Bhavans

With government formation out of the way, prime minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress leadership have turned their attention to filling up gubernatorial posts that will fall vacant in the next few months, in addition to recasting the Economic Advisory Council and the Planning Commission.

Thirteen governors are due to retire between June and December this year and the party leadership will adjust some senior politicians who have not been able to make it to the government.

The terms of the Planning Commission and the Economic Advisory Council are co-terminus with that of the government. According to government sources, both bodies have been asked to continue, but their composition may change. Montek Singh Ahluwalia is likely to continue as deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, but others like Abhijit Sen, who was appointed by the previous government on the advice of the Left parties, may be replaced.

Major changes will take place among governors.  Tamil Nadu governor Surjit Singh Barnala’s term comes to an end in June, as do the terms of Balram Jakhar (Madhya Pradesh), DN Sahay (Tripura), and RS Gavai (Kerala). TV Rajeshwar (Uttar Pradesh), SC Jamir (Maharashtra), SS Sidhu (Goa), AR Kidwai (Haryana), and Nawal Kishore Sharma (Gujarat) will retire in July.

Though no names are being mentioned, the Congress leadership is keen to give gubernatorial assignments to senior politicians like Arjun Singh, Sis Ram Ola, HR Bhardwaj, and Shivraj Patil. They were not included in the new council of ministers and the party leadership hopes to assuage them by making them governors.  Turn to p8

On Friday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi separately met former law minister Bhardwaj and former home minister Patil to placate them. She is likely to meet Arjun Singh to make a similar offer.

According to senior party officials, Gandhi reportedly urged the two not to be disheartened by their omission from the government. She is said to have suggested that they should accept governorship if it were offered to them. She explained to the two that their omission was not a reflection on their performance but part of the overall strategy to induct younger leaders into decision-making.

Ola turned down the offer while Bhardwaj said he was keen to return to the legal profession. “I will always remain a humble soldier of the party and the Gandhi family. I have held many responsibilities and now I would like to return to the legal fraternity,” he said.