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Narayanasamy downplays UPA leaders visit at 10, Janpath | Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office (PMO) V. Narayanasamy on Tuesday downplayed the visit by several senior leaders at Congress President Sonia Gandhi's
10, Janpath residence in the wake of reports over four UPA ministers offering to resign from their posts, and contended that it was a routine meeting. "This
is a strategy meeting about Parliament. This is a routine meeting called by the
honourable Congress President," he told the media here. According to reports,
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Finance Minister
Pranab Mukherjee, Union Law and Justice Minister Salman Khurshid, Rural Development
Minister Jairam Ramesh, Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Minister of
State in Prime Minister's Office (PMO) V. Narayanasamy were present in today's
meeting. Several senior ministers of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA-II Cabinet have
reportedly written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, saying that they would
like to be relieved of their portfolios and would like to work for the party.
According to reports, Union Law and Justice Minister Salman Khurshid, Rural Development
Minister Jairam Ramesh, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vyalar Ravi are the senior leaders, who have
written in this regard to Sonia Gandhi. Senior leaders could be replaced by younger
Members of Parliament in the Union Cabinet, who may now be given important portfolios
and extra responsibility. The plan to revive the Congress has been taken following
the initial report of the A.K. Antony Committee, which looked into reasons for
the party's extremely poor show in the recent Assembly elections in five states.
The final report, which will be submitted to Sonia Gandhi by end of April, points
out that a weak organisation was the main reason behind the party's rout. Sonia
Gandhi had set up the Antony Committee with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit
and Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde as the two other members following
the Assembly elections rout, particularly to study the Congress's show in Uttar
Pradesh where Amethi MP and General Secretary Rahul Gandhi had worked very hard
and almost made it a prestige issue.
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