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Hooda to expand Cabinet soon

Special Correspondent

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said on Tuesday that he would be expanding his Cabinet after the upcoming Presidential election. However, he denied having said that former Finance Minister Mange Ram Gupta would be inducted into the Cabinet.

Talking to media persons after addressing a gathering of office bearers of various district units of the Haryana unit of the Youth Congress at his residence here, Mr. Hooda asserted that party president Sonia Gandhi would decide who would be inducted into the Ministry.

Mr. Mange Ram Gupta is a close associate of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal. Recent newspaper reports had suggested that Mr. Gupta had met Mr. Hooda and openly aired his “displeasure” at the manner in which Mr. Bhajan Lal’s younger son Kuldeep Bishnoi was projecting himself as the next “Chief Minister”. These reports had also quoted Mr. Hooda as saying that Mr. Gupta would be inducted as a Minister.

Mr. Hooda disclosed that independent MLA Tejinder Pal Maan and other MLAs had met him earlier in the day and assured that they would support the UPA candidate Pratibha Patil in the ensuing Presidential election.

Mr. Hooda also said he would issue directions to include a representative of the Haryana Youth Congress in the list of members of each District Public Relations and Grievances Committee.

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Hooda to expand Cabinet soon

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