Manmohan announces 78-member council of ministers

New Delhi, May 27: The reelected Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh's new Cabinet took shape on Wednesday, May 27 a day before the second swearing-in. This 78-member council of ministers comprises of 33 cabinet ministers and 45 ministers of state.

In this new cabinet, Congress has made space for 19 allies of the second United Progressive Alliance (UPA) out of which DMK and the Trinamool Congress get seven each, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) gets three and one each to the Muslim League and the National Conference (NC).

14 cabinet minister will take oath on Thursday, May 28 along with 45 ministers of state, seven of whom will hold independent charge. However, no portfolios have been allotted to the new ministers yet.

The outgoing and the first UPA government also had 78 ministers, with 23 allies.

The Cabinet expansion that was scheduled to happen on Tuesday, May 26 was postponed to Thursday, May 28 following last minute disagreements over cabinet berths. On May 22, 19 cabinet ministers, including Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and NCP's Sharad Pawar, were sworn in.

OneIndia News