Cabinet reshuffle: a mix of new and old

Jyotiraditya Scindia: Scion of the Scindia family, US-educated Jyotiraditya (37) is not new to politics. At the age of 13, he campaigned in a Lok Sabha election. Son of late Congress stalwart Madhavrao Scindia, his aunt Vasundhara Raje is the Rajasthan CM. He became a natural choice of the Congress for the Guna Lok Sabha seat after his father died in an air crash in 2001. Scindia, who has worked as an investment banker with Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, has varied interests and had done a course in car racing as well.

Jitin Prasada: Prior to his entry into politics, Jitin Prasada (35) worked at DSP Meryll Lynch and later with BPL Net. A first-time MP from Shahjahanpur in UP, he is the son of late Congress leader Jitendra Prasada. His grandfather Jyoti Prasada was also a member of the party. Currently AICC Secretary, Prasada is a member of the party's Future Challenges Group. Having done his schooling from the Doon School in Dehradun, Prasada moved to Delhi for his higher education. His great grandfather Jwala Prasada was an Imperial Civil Service officer and great grandmother Purnima Devi was Rabindranath Tagore's niece.

M S Gill: He learnt mountaineering from Tenzing Norgay and now, former chief election commissioner M S Gill has climbed up from being a bureaucrat to a minister. A sports enthusiast and an expert on agriculture, 72-year-old Gill became an election commissioner in 1992. Gill rose to become the CEC in 1995 and conducted the 1998 and 1999 polls. A recipient of Padma Vibhushan, this former IAS officer was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab in 2004. Gill was actively involved in Punjab's Green Revolution and has authored a book, 'An Indian Success Story: Agriculture and Cooperatives in Punjab'.

Santosh Bagrodia: An industrialist by profession and a politician by passion, Rajya Sabha MP and Congress leader Santosh Bagrodia (68) brings with him the legacy of social service. A three-time MP from Rajasthan, Bagrodia's political career spans over 23 years. He entered active politics in 1975 after two decades of social work and assisted Congress in many elections in Sikkim, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura, Punjab and Delhi. He was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1986 and re-elected to the House in 1998 and 2004. Born and educated in Kolkata, Bagrodia is known for his services to the under privileged.

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