Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04NEWDELHI7532
2004-11-29 12:03:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:  

THE GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLES THE CABINET TO SHORE UP

Tags:  PGOV PINR ELAB IN 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 007532 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2014
TAGS: PGOV PINR ELAB IN
SUBJECT: THE GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLES THE CABINET TO SHORE UP
THE RULING COALITION


Classified By: PolCouns Geoffrey Pyatt, Reasons 1.4 (B,D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 007532

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2014
TAGS: PGOV PINR ELAB IN
SUBJECT: THE GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLES THE CABINET TO SHORE UP
THE RULING COALITION


Classified By: PolCouns Geoffrey Pyatt, Reasons 1.4 (B,D).


1. (SBU) On November 26 PM Singh announced a mini-cabinet
shuffle, the first since the United Progressive Alliance
(UPA) government took office over six months ago. Looking
ahead to state elections early next year Shibu Soren, the
controversial chief of the regional Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
party, returned as Minister of Coal. The Minister of Labor
and Employment, Sis Ram Ola, was named to head the
newly-created Ministry of Mines. Minister without portfolio
and head of the regional Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) K.
Chandrasekhara Rao was given the Labor portfolio. The
President swore in the three new ministers on November 27.
Notably missing from the long anticipated cabinet reshuffle
was the controversial Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who
remains in place.


2. (U) Soren was originally named to the cabinet as
Minister of Coal when the UPA assumed power six months ago.
However, he was forced to resign on July 24 after a court in
his home state of Jharkhand issued a warrant for his arrest
in a 20 year old murder case. Soren then dropped from sight
for several months before surrendering, spending a month in
jail and being granted bail. His case is still pending. On
November 27, BJP spokesman and General Secretary Arun Jaitley
told reporters that his party would raise the issue of
Soren's reinduction when Parliament convenes on December 6,
but would not disrupt the session as it had done previously.


Comment
--------------


3. (C) Soren is accused of masterminding a "massacre" of his
political opponents in Jharkhand twenty years ago, and many
say he is guilty. Even if he escapes prosecution in that
case, he is also accused of ordering the murder of his
personal assistant and could be arrested in that case soon.
PM Singh has a reputation for probity and reportedly opposed
bringing Soren into the cabinet, but felt compelled to do so
by the pressures of coalition politics. With Soren back on
board, the JMM and Congress can now form an alliance in
Jharkhand that will likely defeat the BJP government there
and give the state to the UPA in the February 2005 elections.
Likewise, Rao's TRS had threatened to withdraw from the UPA
if it did not separate Telangana from Karnataka and create a
new state. Rather than give in to the TRS, Congress agreed
to set up a sub-committee to look into the issue and placated
Rao by giving him a Cabinet portfolio.


4. (SBU) Although the Labor Ministry has oversight of our
$20 million child labor elimination project, we do not expect
the change of ministers to have any impact on that effort or
other US interests in India. The Coal Mine Safety and Health
bilateral project will be ending in January and this shake-up
will likely not affect its success either.
BLAKE