Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will undertake a minor reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers tomorrow with the likely induction of a few new faces. President K R Narayanan, who is in Ujjain, is returning to the capital tomorrow afternoon. Uma Bharati, who had resigned early this year from the Government to concentrate on state politics in Madhya Pradesh, is expected to be re-inducted, BJP sources said. With the Surface Transport Ministry falling vacant following resignation by Rajnath Singh to assume the Chief Ministership of Uttar Pradesh, the portfolio is likely to go to the Rural Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. Karia Munda, a tribal MP from Jharkhand belt, is likely to be made a Minister and given charge of Rural Development. Munda was a Cabinet Minister in the 13-day Government of Vajpayee in 1996. Minister of State for Environment and forest Babu Lal Marandi, is likely to submit his resignation as he is being tipped for Chief Ministership of the new Jharkhand state. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will undertake a minor reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers on Tuesday with the likely induction of a few new faces.
President K R Narayanan, who is in Ujjain, is returning to the capital on Tuesday afternoon. Uma Bharati, who had resigned early this year from the Government to concentrate on state politics in Madhya Pradesh, is expected to be re-inducted, BJP sources said.
With the Surface Transport Ministry falling vacant following resignation by Rajnath Singh to assume the Chief Ministership of Uttar Pradesh, the portfolio is likely to go to the Rural Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. Karia Munda, a tribal MP from Jharkhand belt, is likely to be made a minister and given charge of rural development. Munda was a cabinet minister in the 13-day government of Vajpayee in 1996. Minister of State for Environment and forest Babu Lal Marandi, is likely to submit his resignation as he is being tipped for Chief Ministership of the new Jharkhand state.

Bureau Report