Jaya agrees to attend meet

“We discussed issues relating to the coordination committee meeting which is due shortly. Jayalalitha will participate in the meeting”, Singh said He said Vajpayee who was the chairman of the committee would soon announce the date of the meeting. On AIADMK supremo’s demand for the dismissal of Hegde and Jethmalani on the grounds that they faced charges, Singh said: “No demands have been raised byanybody. However, inclusion or exclusion of ministers is prerogative of PM .”

He admitted that the public statements made by some ministers should not have been made and could well have been avoided. The PM, he assured, would initiate suitable action to ensure that “this does not happen in the future”.

Denying that Jayalalitha had made any specific demands during the meeting, Singh said she was a much valued alliance partner.

Swamy is out

Subramanian Swamy, a signatory to the national agenda, is out of the ruling coalition. Party spokesman KL Sharma said on Saturday that Swamy would not be invited to attend the coordination committee meeting on May 9 because “he had chosen to abstain during the vote of confidence motion.” The allies have also “taken into account his periodic outbursts against the Government,” he said. Post-poll allies TDP, Haryana Lok Dal and the Arunachal Congress have been invited to the meet.