Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh took the oath of
office in New Delhi on P
May 22 for a second five-year
term. President Pratibha Patil
administered the oath of office
to Singh, 76, and 19 Cabinet
colleagues.
While portfolios had not
been officially announced by
press time, news reports indicated
the Ministry of External
Affairs was set for a new minister.
S.M. Krishna, the tech savvy
former chief minister of
Karnataka, was widely tipped to
take over as India's new foreign
minister. Veteran Congress
Party leader Pranab Mukherjee,
who had been in charge of foreign
affairs, was expected to
take over finance.
P. Chidambaram and A.K.Antony were expected to retain
their home and defense ministry
portfolios, respectively.
Valayar Ravi was likely to continue
as minister for overseas
Indian affairs.
Among the Congress Party's
allies, two were included in the
cabinet: firebrand Trinamool
Congress leader Mamata
Banerjee (likely to take over the
railways portfolio) and
Nationalist Congress Party chief
Sharad Pawar (expected to
retain the agriculture portfolio).
Rahul Gandhi, whose vociferous campaigning for the
Congress Party is credited for its
decisive win, was not among
the ministers sworn in, despite
reports that the heir-apparent
could be given a ministerial job.
The swearing-in ceremony at
Rashtrapati Bhavan was attended
by Vice President Hamid
Ansari, Congress Party chief
Sonia Gandhi and Bharatiya
Janata Party leader L.K. Advani.
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka
Gandhi, former Vice President
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Lalu
REUTERS
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh took the oath of
office in New Delhi on P
May 22 for a second five-year
term. President Pratibha Patil
administered the oath of office
to Singh, 76, and 19 Cabinet
colleagues.
While portfolios had not
been officially announced by
press time, news reports indicated
the Ministry of External
Affairs was set for a new minister.
S.M. Krishna, the tech savvy
former chief minister of
Karnataka, was widely tipped to
take over as India's new foreign
minister. Veteran Congress
Party leader Pranab Mukherjee,
who had been in charge of foreign
affairs, was expected to
take over finance.
P. Chidambaram and A.K.Antony were expected to retain
their home and defense ministry
portfolios, respectively.
Valayar Ravi was likely to continue
as minister for overseas
Indian affairs.
Among the Congress Party's
allies, two were included in the
cabinet: firebrand Trinamool
Congress leader Mamata
Banerjee (likely to take over the
railways portfolio) and
Nationalist Congress Party chief
Sharad Pawar (expected to
retain the agriculture portfolio).
Rahul Gandhi, whose vocif-
erous campaigning for the
Congress Party is credited for its
decisive win, was not among
the ministers sworn in, despite
reports that the heir-apparent
could be given a ministerial job.
The swearing-in ceremony at
Rashtrapati Bhavan was attended
by Vice President Hamid
Ansari, Congress Party chief
Sonia Gandhi and Bharatiya
Janata Party leader L.K. Advani.
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka
Gandhi, former Vice President
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Lalu
REUTERS