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Uncertainty about Cabinet reshuffle |
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Sources in New Delhi say that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is considering reshuffle of his Council of Ministers now that President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is back home from his four-nation tour. The changes would mostly be concerning the Congress nominees in the Council of Ministers unless certain UPA allies want the induction of new faces in ministries allocated to them at the time the Manmohan Singh Government took office in May last year. The Prime Minister, through the reshuffle, is aiming at streamlining work for faster progress in carrying out the coalition’s common minimum programme (CMP). He is reported to have held consultations with UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in this connection. The exercise might entail a change of guard in a couple of economic ministries besides the induction of younger Members of Parliament.
There is speculation that the new faces could include Kerala leader A.K. Antony, who has been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha. Gandhi family loyalist Capt. Satish Sharma and Ambika Soni may also get cabinet berths. There is not likely to be any change in the key portfolios like Home Affairs, Finance, Defence and External Affairs.
There are also reports that Sonia Gandhi may undertake a restructuring of the Congress Working Committee as well as the AICC Secretariat after her re-election as Congress president for the third successive term last month. There are indications that her son Rahul Gandhi may be inducted into the party organisation and assigned a key portfolio, possibly a general secretary’s post. There is a buzz in Congress circles that the time is right now for Sonia Gandhi to let her son and “heir apparent”, Rahul Gandhi, cut his teeth in organizational matters. Like his father Rajiv Gandhi, who was inducted into the organisation as a general secretary in charge of frontal organizations in 1983 after winning the election from Amethi in 1981. Rahul could be brought into the AICC fold to learn the ropes of organizational affairs.
Sonia Gandhi has already made it clear that she will not go in for a drastic AICC restructuring. Her immediate priority will be to appoint someone as in charge of Bihar which is bound for assembly elections within six months.
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