Ajit Singh likely to get civil aviation portfolio

New Delhi: The Congress party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) are likely to soon announce a pre-poll alliance, an arrangement that could see RLD chief Ajit Singh getting the civil aviation portfolio, two Congress leaders told ET on the condition of anonymity. A formal announcement could be made in the next couple of weeks, they said.
Singh, whose party is influential in Western UP, is believed to have asked for a significant Cabinet portfolio for himself and has indicated a preference for either commerce and industry, food and civil supplies or civil aviation, the leaders quoted earlier said.
All the three ministries are held by the Congress members, but the incumbent ministers are not regarded as heavyweights. Asking one of them to make space for Singh wouldn't be too hard for the party, the leaders said.
Anand Sharma is the commerce minister, while KV Thomas is the food and civil supplies minister. Vayalar Ravi holds additional charge of aviation, a sector which is experiencing considerable turbulence currently. Ravi's performance as the aviation minister has also not been impressive, say party leaders.
28/11/11 Rohini Singh/Economic Times

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Nov 2011