Cabinet reshuffle today
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will undertake changes in his ministry on Tuesday with the key External Affairs portfolio tipped to go to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will undertake changes in his ministry on Tuesday with the key External Affairs portfolio tipped to go to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
The swearing-in of new ministers will take place at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7.30 pm, official sources said in New Delhi.
The names of Congress General Secretary A K Antony, party Rajya Sabha member and INTUC President G Sanjeeva Reddy and Karnataka MP Ambrish are doing the rounds for being inducted into the council.
Mukherjee has emerged as the frontrunner for the External Affairs slot in view of his experience in the Government and his own earlier stint in the ministry during Narasimha Rao's regime.
There is no clarity as to who will take over as Defence Minister.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram is unlikely to be disturbed from his present portfolio.
There is speculation that Home Minister Shivraj Patil may be shifted but one view was that the Prime Minister may not disturb him.
The External Affairs ministry has been headless since November last year when K Natwar Singh was forced to resign in the wake of the controversy over Volcker report on UN Oil-for-Food programme in Iraq.
The last re-shuffle took place in January this year when Murli Deora, Sushil Kumar Shinde and A R Antulay were among those inducted into the Cabinet.
The list was firmed up after the Prime Minister held consultations here yesterday with UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
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