Six Congress junior ministers resign

New Delhi, Apr 6 (UNI) Six junior Congress ministers today resigned from the Union Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as part of the reshuffle of the Cabinet.

President Pratibha Patil accepted the resignation of the ministers on the recommendations of Prime Minister Singh.

''The President has accepted the resignations with immediate effect,'' a communique from the Rashtrapathi Bhavan said.

The six ministers who resigned were : Mr Suresh Pachouri (Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Parliamentary Affairs), Dr Dasari Narayan Rao (Minister of State for Coal), Mr M V Rajasekharan (Minister of State for Planning), Dr T Subbarami Reddy (Minister of State for Mines), Dr Akhilesh Das (Minister of State for Steel) and Mr Manikrao Gavit (Minister of State for Home).

Sources said some of the ministers, who resigned today, would take up party assignments in their respective states in the light of forthcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

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