PM SINGH SHUFFLES PORTFOLIOS SLIGHTLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 008809

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2015
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL ECON IN
SUBJECT: PM SINGH SHUFFLES PORTFOLIOS SLIGHTLY


Classified By: Political Counselor Geoff Pyatt, for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)


1. (SBU) In an anti-climax, the GOI announced November 18
that it had reallocated Cabinet portfolios between the
sitting Cabinet Ministers rather than expanding the Cabinet
as expected. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh retained the
External Affairs Ministry. Jaipal Reddy moved from
Information and Broadcasting to Urban Development, where he
may be helpful to our infrastructure investment thrust.
Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi added I & B to his current
Parliamentary Affairs Portfolio. The PM remains overwhelmed
and dual-hatted. Political commentators were surprised that
Sonia and the PM did not undertake radical surgery following
the Natwar Singh scandal.


2. (U) The present composition of 62-member Union Council of
Ministers, after the reshuffle:

CABINET MINISTERS (26)

Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister, is also in-charge of the
following ministries/departments, currently not allocated
to any other minister:

- Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
- Planning
- Atomic Energy
- Space
- Coal
- Overseas Indian Affairs
- External Affairs

Shivraj Patil, Home Affairs
Pranab Mukherjee, Defense

P. Chidambaram, Finance
Arjun Singh, Human Resource Development
Sharad Pawar, Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution
Lalu Prasad, Railways
Ram Vilas Paswan, Chemicals & Fertilizers and Steel
Jaipal Reddy, Urban Development & Culture

K. Chandra Shekhar Rao, Labor & Employment
Mahavir Prasad, Small Scale Industries, Agro & Rural
Industries
PR. Kyndiah, Tribal Affairs & Development of North Eastern
Region
TR. Baalu, Shipping; Road Transport & Highways
Shankersinh Vaghela, Textiles
Natwar Singh, Minister without Portfolio
Kamal Nath, Commerce & Industry
H.R. Bhardwaj, Law & Justice
P.M. Sayeed, Power
Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Rural Development
Priyaranjan Dashmunsi, Information & Broadcasting and
Parliamentary Affairs
Mani Shankar Aiyar, Petroleum & Natural Gas and Panchayati Raj
Mrs. Meira Kumar, Social Justice & Empowerment
Raja, Environment & Forests
Dayanidhi Maran, Communication & Information Technology
Dr. Anbumani Ramdoss, Health & Family Welfare
Sis Ram Ola, Mines

MINISTERS OF STATE WITH INDEPENDENT CHARGE (09)

Santosh Mohan Dev, Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises and
Water Resources
Oscar Fernandes, Statistics & Program Implementation and
Youth Affairs & Sports
Mrs. Renuka Choudhury, Tourism
Subodh Kant Sahay, Food Processing Industries
Kapil Sibal, Science & Technology and Ocean Development
Vilas Muttemwar, Non-Conventional Energy Sources
Kumari Selja, Urban Employment & Poverty Alleviation
Praful Patel, Civil Aviation
Prem Chand Gupta, Company Affairs

MINISTERS OF STATE (27)


E. Ahamed, External Affairs
Suresh Pachauri, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and
Parliamentary Affairs
BK. Handique, Defense; Parliamentary Affairs
Mrs. Panabaka Lakshmi, Health & Family Welfare
Dr. Dasari Narayan Rao, Coal & Mines
Shaqeel Ahmed, Communications & Information Technology
Rao Inderjit Singh, External Affairs
Naranbhai Rathwa, Railways; Chemicals & Fertilizers
KH Muniappa, Road Transport & Highways
MV Rajashekharan, Planning
Kantilal Bhuria, Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public
Distribution
Manik Rao Gavit, Home Affairs
Sri Prakash Jaiswal, Home Affairs
Prithviraj Chavan, Prime Minister,s Office
Taslimuddin, Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution
Mrs. Suryakanta Patil, Rural Development; Parliamentary
Affairs
Md. Ali Ashraf Fatmi, Human Resource Development

A. Narendra, Rural Development

R. Velu, Railways
SS. Palanimanikkam, Finance

S. Regupathy, Home Affairs

K. Venkatapathy, Law & Justice
Mrs. Subbulakshmi Jegadeesan, Social Justice & Empowerment
EVK Elangovan, Commerce & Industry
Mrs. Kanti Singh, Human Resource Development
Namo Narayan Meena, Environment & Forests
Akhilesh Singh, Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and
Public Distribution

Comment - Again Indecisive
--------------


3. (C) Political observers were surprised at this
announcement, as most expected a Cabinet expansion that could
include up to 15 new entrants, rather than a simple reshuffle
of portfolios. In addition, PM Manmohan Singh was widely
reported to be overwhelmed by his workload and eager to shed
Foreign Affairs. Local scuttlebutt has it, that the PM was
over-ruled by the Congress leadership, which was unwilling
for now to fill what Natwar Singh still calls "his Ministry."
Congress insider and Sonia Gandhi confidant Rashid Alvi told
us that Congress still hopes to expand the Cabinet and bring
in new faces after the Winter Session of Parliament ends on
December 23. Singh's failure to press a Cabinet expansion is
likely to be viewed by many as yet another sign of his
government's relative "weakness," as Congress is confronted
by myriad political problems (septel). This anticlimactic
step is another sign of a party trying to cope with multiple
challenges.
BLAKE