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: Senior ministers, BJP functionaries and NDA allies made a beeline for 7, Race Course Road on Saturday in the hope of influencing matters at the margins, even as the broad contours of Prime Minister Vajpayee's proposed cabinet shuffle remain unchanged.
Though most consultations happened behind the scenes, the one open - and even dramatic - developments of the day was Union health minister C P Thakur's decision to resign, followed by M Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley. In the face of his imminent ouster, Thakur chose the honourable way out. Naidu and Jaitley are being drafted for party work, with Naidu tipped to take over as party chief.
Vajpayee spent the day closeted with his new deputy as well as with Jaswant Singh, Pramod Mahajan and George Fernandes, who is also the NDA convenor.
Vajpayee held two rounds of discussions with some of his senior colleagues. He met Jana Krishnamurthy, who may get law or the rural development portfolio. He also met Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, who is apparently keen to get back ...