In perhaps the last reshuffle
before the 2014 general elections, the United Progressive Alliance inducted new
faces into its Cabinet, but it seems like a clear sign that a fatigued UPA-II
has run out of options.
A classic example was the
return of 85-year-old Sis Ram Ola, who lost his Cabinet berth 4 years ago
because he was seen to be too old for the task. However, now with the Rajasthan
Assembly elections on the anvil, Ola is back as the Congress's Jat face. Also, making
a comeback is 72-year-old Oscar Fernandes, who was also shunted out for alleged
non-performance.
None of the other new faces
are inspiring either, Girija Vyas, another Rajasthan MP, got rewarded for
unswerving loyalty while Andhra Pradesh's 69-year-old KS Rao was inducted in a
Cabinet which already has five members from the Congress's most politically
crucial state.
Meanwhile, 71-year-old
Mallikarjun Kharge was made the Railways Minister. Most of the ministers of
state too are little more than token gestures. Three new faces - Santosh
Chowdhury, JD Seelam and ENS Nachiappan were made Ministers of State along with
veteran Maharashtra leader Manikrao Gavit. With
the fresh inductions, the strength of the Union Council of Ministers has gone
up to 77.
Perhaps the real story for
the Congress lies not so much in the Cabinet changes, which represent a case of
old wine in an old bottle, but in the organisational changes, where the imprint
of Rahul Gandhi can be seen. With elections less than a year away, the party's
organisation has taken precedence over the government's needs.
List of new ministers:
CABINET MINISTERS
- Sis Ram Ola gets Labour and
Employment portfolio
- Oscar Fernandes gets Road
and Highways Ministry
-Dr Girija Vyas gets Housing
and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry
- Dr Kavuru Sambasiva Rao
gets Textiles Ministry
MINISTERS OF STATE
- Dr EM Sudarsana Natchiappan
gets Commerce and Industries Ministry
- Manikrao Gavit gets Social
Justice and Empowerment
- Santosh Chowdhury gets
Health and Family Welfare
- JD Seelam becomes Ministers
of State Finance.
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