Tuesday, May 3 2005 08:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Confusion over the proposed expansion of Maharashtra Cabinet continued, with All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and party affairs in-charge Margaret Alva yesterday (May 2, 2005) stating that the issue will be solved by party high command after discussions with Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

The issue will be solved by party high command after discussions with Deshmukh, Alva said.

However, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Prabha Rau told reporters that Deshmukh was likely to meet the Governor S M Krishna.

The delay occurred as the Governor was out of town for two days, she said, adding it was further delayed by Maharashtra Day celebrations on Sunday (May 1, 2005).

When contacted, Deshmukh, however, refused to comment on the proposed expansion of his Cabinet.

As per the Constitutional amendment limiting the size of State Cabinets, Maharashtra can have 43-member Ministry.

Currently three berths from the Congress quota are vacant in the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) coalition Government.

Deshmukh after receiving the green signal from the party high command on April 27 had said in Delhi that the expansion would take place on April 28. Earlier, Congress sources had said that the expansion had been delayed, as the party could not finalise the names of those to be inducted due to lobbying by various groups and factions for ministerial berth.

Alva admitted that there were too many aspirants for the Cabinet berths, including Independents.

A group of 10 Independent legislators, who recently met party president Sonia Gandhi to seek a berth in the Cabinet, are likely to meet other senior Congress leaders soon, sources said.