Union Cabinet Reshuffle

NEW DELHI, October 28 (Agency): With 11 ministers, Andhra Pradesh takes the cake in the reshuffle of the Union Cabinet as it overtook Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan in its strength in the government.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Chairperson, National Advisory Council, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and other dignitaries at the Swearing-in Ceremony of the Union Council of Ministers, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi.

In fact, there are not only five additions from the southern state but one minister has been elevated to Cabinet rank, among the total of 22 inductions and promotions made on Sunday.

Andhra Pradesh, which has witnessed turmoil over the Telangana issue and the emergence of YSR Congress, now also boasts of having the largest number of Cabinet ministers -- four. It is the only major state where Congress is in power on the basis of its own strength. With Congress performing laudably during polls, the state has contributed significantly towards UPA coming to power in 2004 and 2009.

While Tamil Nadu and Kerala have eight representatives in the Council of Ministers including those of DMK, Maharashtra follows suit with seven, including those of NCP.

Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Rajasthan have six ministers each at the central level.

In today’s reshuffle, West Bengal saw induction of the second highest number of MPs in the Council of Ministers with three new faces, in an apparent move to take on Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress which parted ways with UPA over two months ago.

Two members each from party-ruled Kerala and Rajasthan also found place in the Union Council of Ministers. One each has been inducted or elevated from Uttarakhand, Delhi, Assam, Gujarat and Karnataka.

Though there are as many as 16 Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha from Maharashtra, the party has not included a single minister from the state in the exercise.

This was despite the fact that there have been three vacancies from the state following the death of Vilasrao Deshmukh and resignation of Mukul Wasnik besides Prithviraj Chavan being made the Chief Minister.

Sushilkumar Shinde, Milind Deora and Pratik Patil represent Congress in the Cabinet from Maharashtra, while Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel and Tariq Anwar are ministers from NCP. Congress has not got a single representative in the Cabinet from either Marathwada or Vidarbha region.

Arunachal Pradesh got a representation in the government with Ninong Ering getting a berth.

With the exit of Subodh Kant Sahai, there is no representative of Jharkhand in the ministry. The resignation of Agatha Sangma and Vincent Pala has put Meghalaya in the same category.

Goa is not having a minister at the Centre for the last over six years. Manipur is also in the same bracket.