With Rajanth in 4 more committees, govt rebalances composition of key panels; Shah part of all 8
New Delhi, Jun 6: The government's decision on Thursday night to induct Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in most Cabinet committees after it initially kept him out of all but two of them has rebalanced the composition of key panels.
While an official statement in the morning had Singh's name in only two Cabinet committees economic affairs and security, the government effected a change at night, bringing him in four more panels; those on political affairs, parliamentary affairs, investment and growth, and empowerment and skill development.
The change came amid reports that the presence of Amit Shah, who was made home minister in the second Narendra Modi dispensation after Singh held the charge in the first between 2014-19, in all eight committees had highlighted his position as the second most powerful person in the new government.
Official sources said Singh will now head the Cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs, of which Modi is not a member, while Shah is.
Only two committees in which Singh's name does not figure are on appointment, which has traditionally had only prime minister and home minister as members, and on accommodation, a relatively low-profile panel.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's name figured in all but one of the committees.
The government has reconstituted six committees to reflect the changes in the new dispensation and formed two new Cabinet panels to deal with issues like investment, growth, employment and skill development, amid concerns over economic slowdown.
Cabinet ministers representing BJP's allies, including Ram Vilas Paswan, Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Arvind Sawant, are members of a few committees, like in the first Modi government.
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We received request; will decide soon whether to support TVK: Thirumavalavan
Chennai (PTI): VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan on Thursday said that his party received a request from TVK for support and the high-level committee of his party will decide whether to support the Vijay-led party to form the government.
The TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly and emerged as the single largest party. Vijay will have to resign from one of the two constituencies he has won.
Though the Congress party, which has five MLAs, has extended support to TVK, the actor-politician-led party was still short of as many seats to touch the magic number of 118, the majority mark in the 234-member House.
"We received the request letter from TVK. We are thankful for that. We have not ignored his (Vijay's) request. We have a procedure. Therefore, our party's high-level committee will decide soon. We are going to discuss the merits and demerits of our position," the VCK leader told reporters here.
With regard to the delay in the governor's call to the TVK, which is the single largest party, to form the government, Thirumavalavan requested the governor to invite Vijay to form the government. "It is a constitutional right and people's verdict," he added.
Asserting that the governor cannot say that Vijay should hold 118 MLAs' support now itself to form the government, he said that after taking over power, Vijay has to prove an absolute majority only on the floor of the Assembly.
