Third MoS even took Joshi by surprise

The last pre-election reshuffle of the Vajpayee Cabinet has the HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi saddled with no less than three Ministers of State. And the arrival of the third, Vallab Bhai Kathiria, was announced so late that Joshi himself was taken by surprise.

While it was announced in the morning that two new MoS, Ashok Pradhan and first-timer Jaskaur Meena, will be joining the HRD Ministry, the third entrant, Kathiria, announced himself at Joshi’s door late in the evening. Joshi, who came back from Mumbai at 5.30 pm and left for Aligarh soon after, was meeting his two new subordinate ministers at his residence. And just as initial formalities of the meeting was underway, Katharia arrived.

‘‘Initially, there was a little confusion. It was not known that he, too, was joining the HRD Ministry. His induction paper was signed by the President in the evening,’’ an aide said.

Though Joshi is yet to assign specific work to his new Ministers of State, Meena is expected to take charge of the Department of Women and Child Development. He is expected to decide on Pradhan and Kathiria once he returns from Aligarh. ‘‘It is purely the PM’s prerogative as to who he wants to induct in his Cabinet,’’ Joshi said.