Vilasrao to expand, reshuffle ministry after Goa polls

NEW DELHI: The much-awaited reshuffle cum expansion of the Congress-led ministry in Maharashtra would take place next month, chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said on Friday.

Mr Deshmukh, who got the go ahead from Congress president Sonia Gandhi, told reporters that the reshuffle and expansion “will take place after the June 2 Goa elections”.

Mr Deshmukh said the exercise will be undertaken in consultation with AICC general secretary Margaret Alva, who is in charge of party affairs in the state and neighbouring Goa.

There are two Congress vacancies in the Maharashtra Cabinet. During the meeting with Ms Gandhi, Mr Deshmukh also gave an update on the power crisis in the state and steps taken to overcome it.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had chaired a high-level meeting last week to speed up the work on various power projects in the state. Soon after Mr Deshmukh said the state would get an additional 2,600 MW by December this year.

The state is reeling under a severe power crisis with a shortage extending to 3,800 MW. The power shortage had peaked to 6,000 MW in April.

Ms Gandhi also sought an explanation from Mr Deshmukh on the defeat of party candidate Subodh Mohite in the Lok Sabha by-poll from Ramtek.

Mr Deshmukh said the party had witnessed large scale dissidence that led to the defeat of Mr Mohite, who had joined the Congress recently after quitting the Shiv Sena.