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Vajpayee reshuffles Union Cabinet

Geete will take the place of Power Minister Suresh Prabhu, who resigned last week.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Madhya Pradesh, Vikram Verma, was also inducted as Cabinet minister. He will take over the youth affairs and sports ministry from Uma Bharti, who will be shifted to the coal and mines portfolio.

Verma, a Rajya Sabha member, was the leader of the opposition in the state assembly and was tipped as chief ministerial candidate in the 1998 elections, which he lost.

Another new entrant was Shiv Sena leader and Member of Parliament Anand V Adsul. He will take the place of Geete.

President A P J Abdul Kalam administered the oath of office and secrecy in the Ashoka Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani and their ministerial colleagues attended the ceremony.

With these changes, the strength of the Council of Ministers has gone up to 78.

The Cabinet Reshuffle 2002: The Complete Coverage

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