Search the Internet           Tips

Bharati, Munda to be
inducted into Cabinet

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will undertake a minor reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers on Tuesday, with the induction of new faces.

Minister of State for Environment and forest Babu Lal Marandi submitted his resignation as he is being tipped to be chief minister of Jharkhand.

President K R Narayanan, who is in Ujjain, is returning to the capital on Tuesday afternoon.

Uma Bharati, who had resigned early this year from the government to concentrate on politics in Madhya Pradesh, is expected to be re-inducted, Bharatiya Janata Party sources said.

She is to be made a minister of state, sources in the Prime Minister's Office stated.

With the surface transport minister's post falling vacant following the resignation of Rajnath Singh, who is now chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, the portfolio is likely to go to Rural Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.

Karia Munda, a tribal parliamentarian from the Jharkhand belt, who is senior vice-president of the BJP, is likely to be made minister for rural development.

Munda was a cabinet minister in the 13-day government in 1996.

The reshuffle follows pressure from Bharati and Munda to be included in the cabinet. Munda had threatened to quit the party if his demand was not met.

(With inputs from agencies)

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report