A reshuffle of the Union Cabinet , being termed the last such before the General Elections of 2019, will take place on Sunday at around 10 a.m with events leading up to it unfolding fast since Thursday afternoon.
At least half a dozen Union ministers were asked to quit to allow Prime Minister Modi headroom for a massive rejig of the Council of Ministers at a meeting with BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday. Those resignations have not been forwarded to Rashtrapati Bhavan as yet.
Union Minister for Skill Development Rajiv Pratap Rudy said as much after he put in his papers last evening. “It’s not my decision, it’s the decision of the party and I will follow [it],” he said. As did his ministerial colleague Sanjeev Balyan, who said that he complied with a “one-sentence resignation letter” and added that he would work for the party organisation now.
Others who quit include minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Faggan Singh Kulaste, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya , and Mahendra Nath Pandey (who quit after being made President of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP). Two other resignations are holding fire, that of Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Kalraj Mishra and Uma Bharti, Minister for Water Resources.
Sources say that almost all these resignations have been on the basis of performance assessments, especially the Skill India and Namami Gangey initiatives, both close to Prime Minister Modi’s heart. Having effected the resignations, Mr. Shah on Friday went to Mathura for a huddle with the top leadership of the RSS, a pre-decided meeting, where the list of probables for induction will also be discussed. Sources say, after the structured RSS meet, the top brass of the Sangh and the BJP will be meeting and calls to probables will be made late on Friday night and early Saturday morning.
At least 8-10 new entrants are expected in Sunday’s rejig which promises to be a mammoth exercise in government formation. Important ministries like Defence, Environment, Information and Broadcasting and Urban Development are being held as additional charges and Mr. Modi needs to distribute the work a little wider.
Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu, who had offered to take responsibility for the recent frequent derailments leading to fatalities, may be shifted to another ministry, but talk of a large, consolidated transport ministry, comprising of roads and highways, shipping and railways, is just talk, sources say. Roads minister Nitin Gadkari has reportedly declined helming the railway ministry, while another Union minister from the south is angling for the portfolio.
The pattern emerging from the Prime Minister’s list of exclusions points to the fact that he wants faster work on job creation and water resources. The inclusions may be made with an eye on talent and political compulsions. States like Himachal Pradesh (which goes to polls this year) may find representation as Health Minister J.P Nadda’s portfolio may change and he may be asked to look at party affairs in HP.
Karnataka too may get two berths in this reshuffle as it goes to polls in 2018. NDA allies Janata Dal (U) will get two berths, most likely R.C.P Singh and Santosh Kumar Kushwaha. The Shiv Sena may also see an addition to its numbers in the Council of Mnisters. An interesting addition, reflecting the BJP’s ambitions in the northeast, could be Nationalist People’s Party (NPP) and MP from Tura in Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma. Calls for all inclusions to the Council of Ministers will however be made on Saturday morning, and could spring many surprises.
The current strength of the Council of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, is 73 and the maximum number of ministers cannot go beyond 81. According to a constitutional amendment, the limit cannot exceed beyond 15 per cent of the total strength of the Lok Sabha which is 545.
