Talk of Cabinet reshuffle begins
Talk of a Cabinet reshuffle has begun in political circles ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament. “A Cabinet reshuffle is very much on the cards,” well placed sources said Wednesday.
Asked about the AICC reshuffle, they said it might be a minor one. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier clearly indicated that he did not want to reshuffle his team but recent political developments might have become a compelling factor.
Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh could be inducted into the Cabinet if the Congress allies with it before the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, expected early next year. Besides, the DMK is not keen on nominating its leaders for the two Cabinet-rank ministries in place of Mr A. Raja and Mr Dayanidhi Maran, who quit on the 2G spectrum allocation issue. The DMK currently has only one Cabinet-rank minister.
The current strength of the Cabinet is 76 plus the Prime Minister who has been handling the ministries of personnel, public grievances and pensions and the Departments of Atomic Energy and Space.
Among the Union ministers, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mr Mukul Wasnik are AICC general secretaries handling sensitive states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. But if the performance criteria is applied, then some Congress ministers would have to be dropped, the sources felt.
Meanwhile, the Congress on Wednesday parried questions on media reports that AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi could become the party’s working president and that an announcement in this regard is likely on November 19, the later PM Indira Gandhi’s birthday. “The internal matters of the party are not discussed with the media. If any decision is taken, you will come to know,” party spokesperson Rashid Alvi told reporters.
Top party leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity, however, expressed ignorance about any such move.
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