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Loyalists pitch in for Cabinet reshuffle

Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI: The pitch by the loyalist group seeking fresh inductions and changes in the Delhi Council of Ministers on the ground that the present lot of Ministers is "inefficient" is being seen by political observers here as an indirect attempt by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to get rid of "certain Ministers" and persuade the high command to give the nod for her long-pending request for a Cabinet reshuffle.

Political observers are of the view that the new development is likely to create a further divide in the already fragmented Council of Ministers as the loyalists considered close to Ms. Dikshit are targeting those Ministers who are not only performing but are also considered close to the Congress leadership.

In private, many of the MLAs confess that the move has the backing of some disgruntled Congress leaders who are now trying to take a shot at the ministerial slots after having had to sit out in the cold for a long time. "The problem is that the Chief Minister had promised Cabinet berths to a number of MLAs in an attempt to woo them at the time when dissidence was at its peak. Now they are putting pressure on her to press the high command for such changes and that is what has prompted the move by loyalists to seek the removal of certain Ministers," remarked a loyalist MLA. Interestingly, the Chief Minister had put up a note to the party high command some time ago for a Cabinet reshuffle. But the proposal did not find favour with the leadership as it saw no reason for undertaking such an exercise. Ms. Dikshit was duly informed that she should not "even think" of such a reshuffle and instead concentrate on governance. "This new move is very surprising and unlikely to find favour with the party leadership," a senior AICC leader said.

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