From CK Nayak
New Delhi: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Sunday sought to overhaul his team ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls giving due weightage to youth and experience, but the exercise did not bring any cheers for the North East.
The new faces from the north-eastern states inducted are Ranee Narah (Assam) as MoS Tribal Affairs, and Ninong Ering (Arunachal Pradesh) as MoS Minority Affairs.
The region also lost vital portfolio of Water Resources earlier held by Vincent H Pala.
Persistent demand from the North East Congress Coordination Committee to promote Pawan Singh Ghotwor, MoS (Ind) for DoNER to the Cabinet rank also fell in deaf ears.
In case of Meghalaya, dropping of Pala will hurt the Congress before the polls, observers here feel. “Congress is already faction ridden in the hill state and dropping of the lone party Minister will send a wrong signal,” they said.
Similarly, unceremonious ouster of Agahta is likely to hurt the sentiments of the tribal populace of the State, where the Assembly polls are slated for 2013.
Her party NCP did not replace her with a tribal minister. Tariq Anwar, who came in place of her, will be in agriculture ministry headed by his party chief Sharad Pawar.
Agatha was not even intimated as a courtesy before dropping her from the Cabinet as done in all cases including that of Pala. Pala attended Sunday’s oath taking function, but Agatha skipped it as no official intimation was sent to her, sources said.