Opinion September 26, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Cabinet Reshuffle

Stray incidents of violence resulting in the death of at least one person and injuries to several others marred the one-day polling for the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha in Punjab. The polling, estimated at between 55 and 60 per cent, passed off peacefully in most areas. The poll percentage, likely to be higher after revised estimates, was encouraging in the context of the terrorist threat and compared to 1980.

Change in PMO

With Arun Singh’s appointment as Minister of State for Defence Research and Development, the Prime Minister’s Office is likely to undergo a change of style. Singh was technically a parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister but his proximity to the PM and the vantage position he occupied made him a key figure in the administration. He remained during the last 11 months a sort of chief of staff, confidant, special task man and almost a head of the PMO.

AICC-I Revamp

Within hours of the reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers and government secretaries at the Centre, the Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, announced a recast of the All India Congress (I) Committee by adding five general secretaries and removing four. The new general secretaries are Maragatham Chandrasekhar, Ahmed Patel, Oscar Fernandes, Tarun Gogoi and Jitendra Prasad.