New Delhi, Mar 16: President A P J Abdul Kalam has accepted the resignation of minister of state for shipping Dilip Gandhi from the council of ministers with immediate effect, a spokesman of Rashtrapati Bhavan said today. Gandhi had resigned yesterday after he was denied ticket by the BJP for the coming Lok Sabha elections. After handing over his resignation to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Gandhi, who represents the Ahmednagar constituency, said ''I cannot go to the people as a minister after having been denied the ticket by the party.
Gandhi's seat was allotted to senior state party leader N S Pharande.
A Rashtrapati Bhavan communiqué today said the president had accepted the resignation of Gandhi, on the Prime Minister's recommendation, with immediate effect. Bureau Report