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Sheela Bhatt in New Delhi
Ambika Soni, political adviser to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, on Saturday night reacting to the appointment of Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani as deputy prime minister told rediff.com that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is shifting his ministers 'up and down' so many times that the 'exercise is becoming futile'.
She said, "Vajpayee is indulging in this futile exercise to lift the sinking image of his government."
Launching a broadside against the prime minister, Soni said, "Vajpayee by appointing Advani has vindicated our stand."
"Since long Congress is claiming that the prime minister is not in a position to rule the country. He needs a second-in-command and the appointment of Advani proves us correct."
She said that the appointment of Vinay Katiyar as the Uttar Pradesh BJP unit president, 'the impending appointment of Uma Bharati (as Madhya Pradesh BJP unit president)' and the appointment of Advani as the deputy prime minister is a 'definite message to the nation'.
However, she agreed that it was the prime minister's prerogative to make changes in his Cabinet.
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