Congress set to keep 'Big 3' for itself

In its capacity as the leader of the United Progressive Alliance, the Congress is set to keep for its own nominees the Big Three ministries. Pranab Mukherjee is tipped to get the ministry of home affairs while Natwar Singh would get the external affairs ministry, party sources said.

Dr Manmohan Singh might keep the finance portfolio with himself, at least until the budget session of

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Parliament. Otherwise, P Chidambram is a front-runner for the finance ministry. Sources said that Chidambram could be Dr Singh's choice also for this portfolio. Apart from being the finance minister in the Congress-backed United Front government during 1996-98, Mr Chidambram was also an architect of the UF government's common minimum programme that was also drafted by the CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury.

Arjun Singh is likely to be allotted the HRD ministry with the civil aviation going to Ghulam Nabi Azad. Priya Ranjan Das Munshi might get the parliamentary affairs ministry while Kapil Sibal and S Jaipal Reddy are strong contenders for law and information and broadcasting portfolios respectively.

The rough formula for sharing power in the government being 3-4 MPs plus a "leader's stature", Sharad Pawar is likely to get the defence portfolio and a couple of other ministries, given that his NCP has nine MPs.

Laloo Prasad Yadav's hope of becoming the home minister might be dashed, but his RJD with 21 MPs is all set to be richly rewarded with about half-a-dozen ministries, including railways, agriculture, food and civil supplies, coal, and MOS, home.

The Lok Janshakti Party leader, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, is poised to corner the telecommunication ministry.

The DMK with 16 MPs will also get some crucial economic ministries, including commerce, petroleum and natural gas and surface transport. Apart from T R Baalu, who is likely to get environment and forests, Dayanidhi Maran and A. Raja are to be inducted into the ministry. The PMK with six MPs could corner two portfolios, including an MOS for railways.