New Delhi, April 6
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today attempted to impart a new look to his ministerial team in the run-up to the upcoming elections by shuffling several portfolios and inducting young as well as experienced new faces, including Congress youth brigade members Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada, and former bureaucrat M.S Gill, who replaced the controversial Mani Shankar Aiyar in the youth affairs and sports ministry.

Six incumbent Ministers of State were dropped to make way for the newcomers. Others who were sworn in at a special function by President Pratibha Patil this evening included three Congress MPs, V. Narayanasamy, Rameshwar Oraon and Santosh Bagrodia and RJD MP Raghunath Jha. Except for Gill who was given independent charge, the others were inducted as Ministers of State.

These changes, which were given finishing touches by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi at a meeting this morning, are essentially aimed at shoring up the UPA government’s image ahead of the series of year-end assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls thereafter.

Some rationalisation of the portfolios was also on the cards as union minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, who was in charge of parliamentary affairs and the information and broadcasting ministries, had recently been appointed Bengal Congress chief. Similarly, replacements had to be found for Suresh Pachouri, who was also appointed Madhya Pradesh Congress president, and M.V. Rajshekharan as their Rajya Sabha terms had ended and they were not re-nominated. They put in their resignation papers along with Manikrao Gavit (Home), Dasari Narayan Rao (Coal), T. Subbarami Reddy (Mines) and Akhilesh Das (Steel).

Dasmunsi continues as information and broadcasting minister but has shed parliamentary affairs which has now been given to Vayalar Ravi along with the overseas affairs ministry. Ravi will share responsibilities with V. Naranswamy and Minister of State P. K. Bansal who will handle parliamentary affairs along with finance.

Former Chief Election Commissioner Gill, who was elected to Rajya Sabha from Punjab, is the new youth affairs and sports minister in place of Mani Shankar Aiyar who had publicly declared that he had no interest in sports. Besides, the outspoken minister was having a running battle with Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi, which had become quite embarrassing for the government.

Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, who gets communications and information technology and Jitin Prasada who replaces his colleague from Uttar Prdesh in the steel ministry, represent the young face of the Congress. Scindia was accommodated in the ministry as he was denied any organisational responsibility in his home state Madhya Pradesh which is headed for polls this year-end. Their swearing in was an emotional moment for their mothers who were present with other family members to witness the ceremony.

The inclusion of tribal leader Rameshwar Oraon, who gets the tribal affairs portfolio, is part of the Congress’ fresh efforts to woo the tribals and also to tone up its organisation in Jharkhand under a new leader. Rajya Sabha MP Bagrodia, who will now handle the coal ministry, has been given a berth clearly with an eye on the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly elections.

Bijoy Krishna Handique, Minister of State for chemicals and fertilisers and parliamentary affairs, has given been the additional and independent charge of the mines ministry. While Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for commerce and industry, has been given additional charge of the power ministry.