Thursday, March 17 2005 13:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda today (Mar 17, 2005) left for New Delhi to meet the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and discuss the expansion of his Ministry and distribution of portfolios.

Sources in the Chief Minister's residence said that Munda would go to Kolkata by helicopter on way to the capital.

According to sources in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Chief Minister will meet the BJP and JD-U leadership in Delhi to discuss the expansion of his Cabinet and the distribution of portfolios.

In keeping with the 91st amendment of the Constitution, Munda would have to restrict the size of his Cabinet to 12 Ministers only, including himself.

Political observers in Ranchi say that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Kamlesh Singh and UGDP's Joba Manjhi, who remained absent during the vote of confidence on March 15 thus helping Munda to easily sail through the floor test, are also likely to be inducted into the Ministry.

Both Manjhi and Singh, however, are silent on the issue.

Meanwhile, NDA sources said that the next session of the House would be convened after Holi "possibly on March 28 and 29" for passing of the vote-on-account.