No cabinet expansion envisaged

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is not planning any cabinet expansion or changes before the crucial confidence vote in Parliament on Tuesday, according to authoritative sources.

"No cabinet expansion is planned," was all that a source with access to the prime minister's thinking would say when quizzed.

There has been media speculation that some leaders of regional parties, like Shibu Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Ajit Singh (Rashtriya Lok Dal) would be inducted into the Cabinet over the weekend in return for their support to the government in the parliament trust vote.

The prime minister, say sources, is quite looking forward to the parliament debate as it would give him an opportunity to explain to the nation the larger benefits of the nuclear deal and the overall record of the government during its stint in power for over four years.