PM holds reshuffle card close to chest

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh kept his cards close to his chest about changes he intended to make in his cabinet. But he reiterated the need to include younger faces. HT reports.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh kept his cards close to his chest about changes he intended to make in his cabinet. But he reiterated the need to include younger faces.

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"Well I think I will not be able to tell you what I am going to do by way of a cabinet reshuffle. When that happens, all of you would come to know," Singh said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Saturday.

"I do agree we need to reduce the average age of those in power. We do need to bring in younger people in our system of governance," he added, but did not elaborate further.

The Prime Minister has reportedly been mulling a sweeping makeover of his team that includes a possible infusion of fresh blood, dropping of jaded or controversial team members, re-jigging of some portfolios, and elevation of some ministers of state to cabinet rank.

With the exit of controversial telecom minister A Raja, there are now three vacancies in Singh's ministerial team.

Shashi Tharoor had quit as minister of state for external affairs in April. Earlier this month, Prithviraj Chavan resigned as minister in the PMO following his appointment as chief minister of Maharashtra.

Singh also has to address Sharad Pawar's request to decrease his workload. The NCP chief holds the portfolios of agriculture, food and civil supplies as well as consumer affairs and public distribution.

Demands are growing from within the Congress that the party should keep the telecom portfolio to itself, which was held by the DMK for six years, until Raja was eased out.

Though there is no firm word on it, many Congress leaders expect the reshuffle to take place in mid-January 2011.