Minister of state for finance Anant Geete was today appointed Union power minister. He replaced Suresh Prabhu, who resigned following a directive from Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee inducted Vikram Verma, Rajya Sabha member and a senior BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh, into the Cabinet to replace sports and youth affairs minister Uma Bharti, who will take charge as coal and mines minister.
Verma, who served a long stint as leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, is learnt to have declined the post of minister of state. Considered close to Vajpayee, Verma