Date:27/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/27/stories/2008052754770700.htm

New Delhi

Haryana Cabinet reshuffle soon: Hooda

Special Correspondent

He describes Bhajan Lal’s victory as a “politically meaningless non-event”

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda asserted on Monday that a reshuffle of his Cabinet as well as the administration would be carried out soon on the basis of performance.

Talking to media persons here, he described the victory of his political bete noir, former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, from Adampur in the Haryana Assembly by-election over the weekend as a “politically meaningless non-event”. In fact, he said, an elderly person had won from Adampur because he had made an emotional appeal to the electorate to vote for him in his “last election”.

Mr. Hooda said the Congress had won two of the three by-elections held in Haryana and this clearly indicated that the Congress would win all 10 Lok Sabha seats from the State in the next general elections. While thanking the voters of Adampur, Gohana and Indri for the smooth conduct of the by-elections, he said they had given a “historic verdict which would decide the future of Haryana”. He said the people had endorsed the policies and programmes of the Central and State governments and of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. It was significant that all sections of society had given their support to the Congress, he added. Meanwhile, addressing party workers who met him at his residence here to congratulate him over the election verdict, Mr. Hooda said he would visit the three constituencies to thank the people for their support as well as address large public meetings.