Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday re-inducted Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Shibu Soren into the cabinet, giving back to him a bifurcated coal ministry and asserting that the circumstances that led to his exit no longer existed.

At the same time, Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) leader K. Chandrashekhar Rao, who has been a cabinet minister without portfolio since May, was given charge of labour and employment, replacing Sis Ram Ola.

Ola, who is from the Congress party unlike Soren and Rao, was given the mines ministry after Soren's original coal and mines portfolio was split up.

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam administered the oaths of office and secrecy to Soren at a simple ceremony in the ornate Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace. The event lasted less than three minutes.

There were only a handful of ministers and invitees at the ceremony, and media personnel and officials were asked to move up from behind to fill the seats in front.   

Soren had quit as coal minister following an arrest warrant against him for his alleged involvement in a mass-murder case 10 years ago. 

A statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan said Ola, who held the labour and employment portfolio, would now be minister for mines.

With the return of Soren into the cabinet, the strength of the council of ministers goes up to 66 - 28 cabinet ministers, 10 ministers of state with independent charge and 28 ministers of state. 

Asked by journalists if by re-inducting him he was not giving a handle to the opposition to stall the parliament session starting Dec 1, Manmohan Singh said: "The basis on which he left does not exist."

The opposition had stalled the budget session of parliament for days over Shibu Soren and other issues.

"I hope it will be a smooth session. I expect cooperation from the opposition," the prime minister said. "We are ready to cooperate on any issue they raise."

After a court in Jharkhand released him on bail, Soren has been demanding his portfolio back.

Rao has been making threatening noises with his demand for a separate state for Telangana by breaking up Andhra Pradesh.

A major cabinet reshuffle is expected after parliament's winter session gets over in December.

The return of Soren to the Congress-led central government assumes significance as his home state Jharkhand prepares for assembly elections early next year.

The Congress party is expected to fight the elections in alliance with JMM to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

--Indo-Asian News Service