Mani loses oil in reshuffle

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today undertook a major expansion and reshuffle of the Cabinet as 22 ministers were administered the oath of office. These ministers include 10 Cabinet rank ministers and 12 ministers of state.

Among the Cabinet rank ministers are former Andhra Pradesh Governor Sushil Kumar Shinde (power) former Maharashtra Chief Minister AR Antulay (minority affairs), Congress General Secretary Ambika Soni (tourism and culture), Saifuddin Soz, (water resources), and Murli Deora (petroleum).

Three ministers of state, Kapil Sibal, Santosh Mohan Deb and Rashtriya Janata Dal's Prem Chand Gupta, have been elevated to Cabinet rank. Vyalar Ravi has been made the minister for overseas Indian affairs, while Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren has been re-inducted as coal minister.

Prominent among the new faces sworn in as ministers of state are Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President and late GK Moopanar's son GK Vasan with independent charge of statistics and programme implementation.

Jairam Ramesh, who is part of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's National Advisory Council, will, in all probability, be the new minister of state for commerce.

Pawan Kumar Bansal, who resigned as chairman of the Lok Sabha committee probing the MPLADs scam following allegations that he had diverted funds meant for the development of his constituency, has been made the minister of state for finance. Delhi MP Ajay Maken gets urban development.

Congress Spokesman Anand Sharma has been made minister of state for external affairs and Rajya Sabha member from Punjab Ashwani Kumar will be the minister of state for industries.

Late Andhra Pradesh leader NT Rama Rao's daughter D Purandareshwari is the new minister of state for human resources development while her colleague from Andhra Pradesh MM Pallamraju gets Defence.

The portfolios of Dinshaw Patel and T Subbi Rami Reddy are yet to be decided. Akhilesh Das is the new minister of state for steel and Chandrashekhar Sahu becomes minister of state for labour.

The reshuffle also saw EVKS Elangovan shifting from commerce to textiles, Rao Inderjit Singh from external affairs to defence, Kanti Singh (RJD) from women and child development in the HRD ministry to heavy industries and BK Handique from defence to chemicals and fertilisers. Handique continues to retain parliamentary affairs.

There are still vacancies in the Cabinet, including that of an external affairs minister. The prime minister has hinted that a smaller reshuffle will take place after the Budget session.