Indian PM brings new faces in cabinet

The new entrants to the ministry, who included 11 ministers of state and one minister of state with independent charge, were administered oath of office at a ceremony at the Ashok Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan here last afternoon.

Although an official announcement of reshuffle of portfolios was expected later, Saifuddin Soz, a veteran politician from Jammu and Kashmir, is tipped to get the key portfolio of water resources.

The expansion-cum-reshuffle left untouched the key ministries of finance, commerce and industry, law and defence.

Contrary to speculation that a full time cabinet minister in charge of external affairs minister would be appointed, Prime Minister Singh retains the portfolio with him. The slot had fallen vacant following the resignation of K Natwar Singh in the wake of his name figuring in UN probe report into Iraqi oil-for-food payoff scam.

However, Congress spokesman Anand Sharma, who was inducted as minister of state, is likely to be brought in the external affairs ministry in that rank.

Sunday's exercise, mainly aimed at filling some slots which fell vacant due to death and resignations, saw a number of new faces in the cabinet including Ambika Soni, a close aide of Congress Party chief Sonia Gandhi, veteran Congress leaders Murli Deora from Mumbai, India's commercial capital, and Abdur Rahman Antulay, former chief minister of Maharashtra who has been brought out from the cold.

Sushilkumar Shindre, another veteran Congress leader from Maharashtra who was the Governor of southern state of Andhra Pradesh, was also brought into the cabinet marking his comeback to national politics after being eased out as Maharashtra Chief Minister.

Ambika Soni is set to get charge of tourism and culture ministry now held by Renuka Chowdhury who is likely to be shifted to the ministry of Women and Child Development. Antulay is likely to get charge of minority affairs ministry while Murli Deora is set to take over as petroleum minister from Mani Shankar Aiyar who is tipped to get additional charge of sports and youth affairs ministry besides his present charge of Panchayati Raj department.