New Delhi:
India gets a new External Affairs Minister in Salman Khurshid today and 22 ministers have taken oath at Rashtrapati Bhavan, many of them new faces. The accent is on a younger cabinet and what is likely to be the last major cabinet reshuffle in this term of the UPA bears an unmistakable Rahul Gandhi imprint. Another big reshuffle is on the cards soon - in the Congress organisational structure; Rahul Gandhi looks set for a bigger role and there is speculation that he could be made Working President or Vice President. Or even Secretary General.
Here are the 10 latest developments on today's Cabinet reshuffle:
After the swearing ceremony, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he hoped this was his government's last reshuffle, which he described as a combination of youth and experience. He said he was disappointed that Rahul Gandhi had not joined the government, but said he was preoccupied as he wanted to strengthen the party. (Read: Disappointed Rahul Gandhi hasn't joined government, says Prime Minister) The PM said he did not see early elections taking place. On senior leaders like Ambika Soni quitting the government and heading back to do party work, the PM said the Congress needed men and women of experience to strengthen at the grassroots.
Salman Khurshid is giving up the Law ministry to become the Foreign Minister. Mr Khurshid's Law Ministry, say sources, will be assigned to Ashwani Kumar, who has been promoted to Cabinet rank. Minority Affairs, which is also held by Mr Khurshid, is likely to be given to the Congress' Rahman Khan who too gets Cabinet rank.
M Veerappa Moily gives up both portfolios he holds and moves to the crucial petroleum ministry. Young minsters Sachin Pilot and Jyotiraditya Scindia are expected to get promotions and each hold independent charge of a Moily ministry - Corporate Affairs for Mr Pilot, Power for Mr Scindia.
Kapil Sibal could give up the Human Resource Development Ministry and hold charge of only the Telecom Ministry. MM Pallam Raju from Andhra Pradesh has been promoted to Cabinet rank and is tipped to take over as HRD minister. Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath is expected to get additional charge of Parliamentary Affairs, sources said.
Sources said that will free Pawan Kumar Bansal to take over the crucial Railway Ministry, which Mamata Banerjee's party vacated when she stormed out of the UPA in September.
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Ajay Maken has been elevated to Cabinet rank and likely to get the House and Urban Poverty Alleviation portfolio. And Shashi Tharoor stages a comeback; he could be Minister of State in the Human Resource Development ministry.
Prominent among new faces inducted today is Telugu superstar turned politician Chiranjeevi who is expected to get independent charge of tourism, vacated by Subodh Kant Sahay, who resigned yesterday.
Also, 47-year-old Congressman from Ludhiana, Manish Tewari, who has been Congress spokesperson, will be Minster of State with Independent Charge for Information and Broadcasting, replacing Ambika Soni, who too resigned yesterday and is tipped to get a big role in the Congress' organisational affairs.
There are more promotions on the cards. D Purandeswari from Andhra Pradesh, who has been a minister of state in the HRD ministry for six years is also expected to get elevated to minister with independent charge. The reshuffle focuses on Andhra Pradesh with five new ministers from the state as the Congress struggles to retain its hold. And on Bengal, Deepa Dasmunshi, wife of Gandhi family loyalist and former minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, has been made minister as have Adheer Choudhury, H Khan Choudhury and Pradeep Bhattacharya.
Minister of state for Rural Development Agatha Sangma, whose father Purno Sangma quit the Nationalist Congress Party or the NCP a few months ago defying his party to contest the Presidential elections against the official UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee, has made way for veteran leader Tariq Anwar who will be Minister of State, Agriculture.
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