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Rahul Gandhi all set for promotion as Cong rejig likely this week
No Congress MP from Maharashtra has found a place in the revamped Council of Ministers, which on Sunday saw induction of 17 new faces.
Names of senior State Congress leaders Gurudas Kamat and Vilas Muttemwar were doing the rounds for possible induction into the Council of Ministers.
The only new face from Maharashtra was NCP leader Tariq Anwar, a Rajya Sabha member from the State. Anwar has been made Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries.
It was expected that the Congress leadership would induct someone from the state to fill the vacancy caused by the demise of senior party leader Vilasrao Deshmukh in August.
However, the portfolio held by Deshmukh at the time of his death, Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, has been given to S Jaipal Reddy.
Congress leader from Vidarbha Mukul Wasnik, who held the portfolio of Social Justice, resigned yesterday.
After today`s reshuffle, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said was "hopefully, probably the last" before next Lok Sabha polls, Andhra Pradesh accounts for 11 Ministers, highest from any state. There were five additions to the Council from the southern state.
Maharashtra has seven representatives in the Council of Ministers, including those of Sharad Pawar-led NCP, the Congress ally at the Centre and in the state.
PTI