Sonia hints at AICC reshuffle

New Delhi, Oct 24 (UNI) Minutes after the expansion of the Union Cabinet, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today announced that the AICC too would be reshuffled shortly.

"This is necessary to fill up the vacancies caused in the party organisation by some AICC functionaries moving over to the government as ministers, "she said in an informal chat with mediapersons at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

She was referring to CWC member in charge of Karnataka affairs A K Antony being elevated as Minister for Defence in the Union Cabinet and Mr Oscar Fernandes, hitherto looking after organisational matters concerning North Eastern States and the Congress President's Office(CPO), being made Minister for Labour and Employment in today's reshuffle of the Union Cabinet.

Ms Gandhi had indicated at the Congress Chief Ministers' Conclave at Nainital that she intended to reshuffle the AICC soon.

The proposed expansion of the AICC is seen as a move to prepare the party structure for the forthcoming assembly elections in five states,including Uttar Pradesh.Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is likely to be inducted as a General Secretary in the proposed reshuffle.

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