Andhra, Bengal on Congress' mind
29 Oct 2012 8:14 AM IST
With Sunday's mega cabinet rejig, the Congress has sought to bolster its position in the electorally-crucial state of Andhra Pradesh, emerge as a strong player in West Bengal and energise the government ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
The major reshuffle of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA-II) govt, effected after considerable deliberation among the party's top two leaders - Cong president Sonia Gandhi and PM Manmohan Singh - saw the party gearing up to tackle a string of assembly elections due till 2013 end.
The much talked-about ‘Rahul stamp’, in the form of elevation of young leaders, was visible but apparently not very pronounced.
Andhra Pradesh, which handsomely contributed to the Congress kitty in the past two Lok Sabha elections, saw five new inductions, taking the total number of ministers from the state to 11.
The party also inducted ‘detractors’ of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee - Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Deepa Dasmunsi and A H Khan Choudhury - as ministers of state, in bid to become a strong player in West Bengal. The party also did not make any changes to representation from the electorally-crucial state of UP, but elevated Khurshid.
The major reshuffle of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA-II) govt, effected after considerable deliberation among the party's top two leaders - Cong president Sonia Gandhi and PM Manmohan Singh - saw the party gearing up to tackle a string of assembly elections due till 2013 end.
The much talked-about ‘Rahul stamp’, in the form of elevation of young leaders, was visible but apparently not very pronounced.
Andhra Pradesh, which handsomely contributed to the Congress kitty in the past two Lok Sabha elections, saw five new inductions, taking the total number of ministers from the state to 11.
The party also inducted ‘detractors’ of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee - Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Deepa Dasmunsi and A H Khan Choudhury - as ministers of state, in bid to become a strong player in West Bengal. The party also did not make any changes to representation from the electorally-crucial state of UP, but elevated Khurshid.
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