UPA will get a third term, says Manmohan Singh

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Monday said the Congress-led UPA Government will get a third term.

"I have always believed that we will have a third go as U P A and the people will again repose their faith in us," Dr. Singh said on Twitter.

The Prime Minister's comment came shortly after he inducted eight new faces in the Council of Ministers.

In perhaps the last reshuffle and expansion of the Union Council of Ministers, Mallikarjun Kharge was made the Railways Minister, as eight more were inducted with veterans Sis Ram Ola and Oscar Fernandes making a comeback.

After Sunday's reshuffle in the party, senior woman leader from election-bound Rajasthan Girija Vyas and K S Rao from Andhra Pradesh were brought in as Cabinet Ministers in Monday's exercise.

Three new faces-Santosh Chowdhary, J D Seelam and E N S Natchiappan were made Ministers of State along with veteran Maharashtra leader Manikrao Gavit.

With the fresh inductions, the strength of the Union Council of Ministers has gone up to 77.

The oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers was administered by President Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan here.