New Delhi: Eight new faces were inducted in the Council of Ministers today, with Sisram Ola and Oscar Fernandes making a re-entry after a gap of four years.
President Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers.
Ola, along with Girija Vyas and K S Rao, were inducted as Cabinet Ministers. The Ministers of State inducted were Manikrao Gavit, Santosh Chowdhury, J D Seelam, E M S Natchiappan. Ola and Fernandes were ministers in the UPA-I but did not find a place in the UPA-II government. With the new inductions, the strength of the Council of Ministers went up to 77.
Mallikarjun Kharge, who lost out in Karnataka Chief Minister's race, is likely to be the new Railways Minister. Girija Vyas may get the Housing and poverty alleviation portfolio, Sis Ram Ola, is likely to get the Labour Ministry.
The expansion-cum-reshuffle of the Council of Ministers was necessitated by the exit of Ministers from DMK as well as resignation of Pawan Kumar Bansal, Ashwani Kumar, Ajay Maken and C P Joshi.