kumarv@paul.rutgers.edu (kumar vadaparty) (06/24/91)
Subject: India: AP News Summary ================================ NEW DELHI, India: India's new prime minister on Sunday assigned duties for his Cabinet, which has drawn criticism from disgruntled members of his governing Congress Party. P.V. Narasimha Rao kept the post of defense minister for himself and assigned the Interior Ministry to S.B. Chavan, who served in the cabinets of assassinated Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and his mother, Indira. Respected economist Manmohan Singh, the only Cabinet member who is not a Congress Party member, was appointed to head the Finance Ministry. His assignment was seen as a move to handle India's growing financial crisis. The public announcement of Cabinet posts, however, did not stop criticism of Rao's choices for its 54 members. Many Congress Party lawmakers were angry at being left out of the team, news reports said. The Hindustan Times, a respected national daily, said Sunday that as many as 20 newly Congress lawmakers might refuse to take their seats when Parliament convenes. No date has so far been given for the convening of Parliament. Sharad Pawar, an influential Bombay-based parliamentarian who last week challenged Rao for the post of prime minister, said Saturday that his state received inadequate representation in the Cabinet, Press Trust of India reported. Although there are no know negotiations between Pawar and Congress Party bosses, most analysts say Pawar had demanded to be interior minister in exchange for letting Rao lead the party. Chavan's appointment as interior minister could result in factional fighting within the government involving Pawar, analysts said. ``I don't expect things to come to a head very soon but Pawar will mobilize a counter force, taking advantage of the mistakes Rao is bound to make,'' said analyst Sen Gupta. ``The prime minister is in feeble health and he can't have a full grip of affairs.'' With 225 seats and another 16 seats won by small party allies in the general elections, Congress is still 15 seats short of a majority in Parliament and needs all the votes it can get to establish and maintain a government. It has until July 21 to gain a majority and will need outside support from other parties or independents. End of article