NEW DELHI: Mr. Lal Bahadur Shastri was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India at a simple ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today [June 9]. All the members of his 16-man Cabinet, except Mrs Indira Gandhi, were administered the oath of office and secrecy by the President, Dr Radhakrishnan.

Mrs. Indira Gandhi, who ranks fourth in the new Cabinet, and will hold the Information portfolio, is at present away in Allahabad and is likely to take the oath of office on her return within a few days.

The Shastri Cabinet includes all the Ministers of the out-going Cabinet and has three new-comers — Mrs. Indira Gandhi, former Minister S.K. Patil and a former Congress President and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Mr. Sanjiva Reddy.

Mr. Shastri, who was keen on including former Finance Minister Morarji Desai, despite strong opposition from a section of influential Congress leaders, had to form his Cabinet without him. He made desperate last-minute efforts to persuade Mr. Desai to join the Cabinet without insisting on his rank being second to the Prime Minister, but failed. Mr. Desai would not accept any position lower than that, refused to yield and declined to accept the offer on any other term.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2014