New Delhi : In a surprise statement, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday’s resuffle of his Council of Ministers is the last before the Lok Sabha polls in 2014, but two slots have been kept vacant for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam as part of “coalition dharma”.

Talking to media persons after the swearing-in of the 11 ministers at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Singh said the resuffle reflects a “balance necessary between various states, consideration of efficiency, consideration of continuity” in the government.

“As far as I am concerned this is the last reshuffle before we go to polls (in 2014),” he said, adding “This exercise is as comprehensive as possible.