One of the partners in the Mahagthbandhan Government in Bihar, the Congress is likely to hold meetings with JDU leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD leader and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday over the party’s share in the alliance new Council of Ministers.
Party’s Bihar incharge Bhakta Charan Das said he has already spoken to party chief Sonia Gandhi and former president Rahul Gandhi on the issue.
He claimed that Congress is a big party and that many have joined it so the leadership expects a respectable presence in the Bihar Cabinet.
Das’ arm-flexing statement comes a day after a party MLA wrote to Sonia and Rahul that the grand old party should fight for a good number of Ministerial berths based on caste equations.
Das asserted that a "major exercise" for finalising ministerial berths has been completed and he has spoken to Nitish Kumar and would meet him personally to share him the high command’s thinking on the subject.
The AICC Bihar in-charge also announced that the Cabinet expansion and oath ceremony will be on Tuesday.
He, however, refused to divulge the number of ministerial berths the Congress would be getting and said it would be "respectable" and according to the party's strength in the House.
“It has been finalised. The numbers would be as per our strength in the House. We have not yet finalized the names. We are a big party and many have joined us. Keeping in mind everything, it (the number) will be respectable," he said.
Das had met Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Friday in the national Capital for the first time after the formation of the new government in Bihar and held discussions with him.
He had said Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav also met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday and had a discussion with her on the cabinet expansion.
Earlier, Congress sources had indicated that the party was likely to get four ministerial berths in the new government in Bihar.
The cabinet, which at present comprises only Chief Minister Kumar and Yadav as his deputy, is due for expansion early next week.