Monday, January 30 2006 16:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: With some of its key members making it to the Union Council of Ministers, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) will soon undertake an exercise to fill up the vacancies.

"The vacancies will be filled-up soon," Union Minister Ambika Soni said today (Jan 30,2006) after taking charge of Tourism Ministry here.

On her transition from a party worker to a Cabinet Minister, the former Congress General Secretary said she would miss party work but she added, "As Sonia keeps telling us, it is the party and its workers who make the Government. Party comes first and foremost and even as ministers we need to remember this".

When asked if induction of younger members of AICC as ministers meant that senior Congressmen should look towards 'Raj bhawans', Soni said "the Congress party has many experienced and senior leaders. The challenge before the party now is how to mix the experience of senior leaders with the enthusiasm of the youth".

She also underlined a need for the younger generation including Rahul Gandhi to take new and important responsibilities.

"It is my belief that in the Congress the young generation has to be given more responsibilities. There are leaders like Rahul Gandhi who is an icon for the young generation. I am sure the young leaders will work for the party and strengthen Congress President Sonia Gandhi's hands," she said.

On whether elevation of party leaders like her and Anand Sharma (spokesperson of AICC) to the Council of Ministers would result in a reshuffle at the organizational level, Soni said it would be more like filling up the vacancies and she expected the youth in the party to be given opportunities.