BBC NEWS | South Asia | Indian government reshuffled

The Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has carried out a major reshuffle of his cabinet in an attempt to revamp the government's image.

Shifting me to foreign ministry is not a comment on my work

Yashwant Sinha

The major change is the moving of Yashwant Sinha from the finance ministry, where he had faced criticism over his performance.

He swaps places with Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh.

The other main development - announced a day before the reshuffle - is the creation of the post of deputy prime minister to be filled by known hardliner LK Advani.

In total, 13 new ministers and junior ministers have been brought in to the BJP-led government as Mr Vajpayee seeks ways to boost its mid-term popularity.

New faces

Yashwant Sinha said his move to the foreign ministry was not a comment on his performance.

Mr Sinha has faced increasing criticism for failing to promote economic reforms to the electorate.

Four new ministers - drawn from the prime minister's own BJP party and from the Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena - have also been brought in to government.

For the first time, two former Bollywood stars have found a place in government - Shatrughan Sinha in the cabinet and Vinod Khanna as a junior minister.

The new cabinet includes the former BJP president Jana Krisnamurthy, who has been replaced by Venkaiah Naidu .

The appointment of 53-year-old Mr Naidu is seen as part of a move to replace older party leaders with young blood.

The outgoing BJP president was 72.

It comes after the BJP suffered reverses in crucial state elections earlier this year.

More state elections are due next year and analysts believe the BJP wants to improve its image and retain its hold among traditional supporters.

Hindu agenda

The new deputy premier, Mr Advani, is associated with a more aggressive right wing and pro-Hindu agenda.

The BJP's move to the right comes despite widespread criticism of the party following large scale religious violence in the western state of Gujarat earlier this year.

Correspondents say that some in the BJP are dissatisfied with the more moderate leadership represented by the prime minister - and feel his style of consensual politics has led to a decline in popularity among the party's traditional supporters.

The BJP lost control of several states including Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous and politically significant state, in February's polls.

The party currently rules only four of the country's 29 states.