NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Bihar Congress dissidents finally rewarded

Our Correspondent in Patna

Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Laloo Yadav finally succumbed to pressure from Congress ministers in the Bihar government headed by his wife Rabri Devi and had five of them given additional portfolios late last night.

Chandrashekar Dubey of the Congress, till yesterday minister of tourism, exchanged posts with Madhav Lal Singh of the RJD, who held the labour and employment portfolio.

Dr Shakil Ahmed, who was minister of medical education and indigenous medicine, got additional charge of family welfare, which hitherto was the preserve of Health Minister Shakuni Chaudhary.

The Institutional Finance Minister Dr Ashok Kumar got additional charge of housing, which was earlier allotted to Taslimuddin of the RJD.

Registration Minister Vijay Shankar Dubey got additional charge of adult education -- the portfolio till yesterday managed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ramchandra Purbey.

Another RJD minister, Ravindra Charan Yadav, lost the cottage and small industry portfolio to Vishwa Mohan Sharma of the Congress.

But two other dissidents, Bagun Sumbrai and Veena Shahi, did not get any additional portfolio.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report