Oscar, Reddy party-bound

2 young MPs to be made ministers

The impending Cabinet reshuffle will also mean changes within the Congress, some even affecting the structure of the party itself.

According to top Congress sources, Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation Oscar Fernandes will be leaving the government for a top party post after the reshuffle.

This will be done following the exit of All-India Congress Committee (AICC) media cell chief Ambika Soni, who is billed to become a minister.

A special post of vice-president would be created for Fernandes, sources said. "With the exit of Soni, the Congress chief will want at least one of her close aides, Fernandes, back in the party," said a party office-bearer.

In fact, the Cabinet reshuffle may also see Information and Broadcasting Minister S Jaipal Reddy return full-time to the party with a top post. Reddy himself is said to be keen for a party post and that, he is not interested in his present job as a minister.

He may be asked to take charge of handling the media since present spokespersons Jayanti Natarajan and Anand Sharma have been evidently disastrous with their press dealings over the alleged breach of protocol during Sonia Gandhi's recent Russia visit.

While young MP Jyotiraditya Scindia is tipped to be a minister of state for external affairs in the reshuffle, Bhajan Lal's son Kuldeep Bishnoi will also be given a ministerial berth, it is learnt.

Inside the party, young MPs are hoping to see at least one of them, most likely Jitin Prasada, as an AICC secretary.