CM indicates Cabinet reshuffle in HP

Shimla, Jun 6 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today indicated a reshuffle in the state Cabinet and said he was planning to induct a few new faces to give a new momentum to the government and the party.

''I reserve the right to reshuffle my Cabinet in view of the changing political scenario and handing over important party positions to senior leaders with assembly elections round the corner,'' he said at a press conference here.

The restructuring of the party was on the cards in the year future with the state assembly elections due in February 2008, he said.

Referring to the party's defeat in the Hamirpur parliamentary seat, he said it was only due to the BJP playing the card of regionalism and casteism.

Regionalism and casteism fuelled by misinformation campaign helped the BJP in winning the seat, but the same issues that handed it victory at the hustling would boomerang on it one day, he opined.

The Chief Minister said the Congress, on the other hand, has always been in favour of emotional integration of the state unlike the BJP, which has resorted to every means to achieve its target.

He said it was time for the Congress to introspect and investigate the causes for the defeat of the party candidate and state Forest Minister Ram Lal Thakur from Hamirpur constituency.

Rubbishing news in a section of the press that the government's morale was low and jittery after its defeat in by-polls, Mr Singh said that the party and his government was strong as ever and was preparing itself for the next assembly elections.

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