The Modi government seems set for a Cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday with likely inclusions from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Assam. Of these, U.P. and Uttarakhand are poll-bound States and there is much anxiety on who could be included.
Director-General of the Press Information Bureau Frank Noronha confirmed the time and date of the reshuffle via Twitter on Monday morning, more than six weeks after speculations began over the exercise.
“There is, at the moment, one vacancy in the council of ministers, that of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who had held the Sports and Youth Affairs portfolio, that has to be filled by someone from Assam itself. The two names doing the rounds are senior BJP leader Ramen Deka and Rameshwar Singh, first time MP from Dibrugarh,” said a senior source.
There is a talk that Arjun Ram Meghwal, Bikaner MP and chief whip of the BJP in the Lok Sabha may be added to the Ministry; he may even replace Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Nihal Chand Meghwal (who had been summoned in a rape case).
Contenders from Uttarakhand include Almora MP Ajay Tamta, belonging to the Dalit community, and former chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.
From U.P., the list gets a little complicated with caste and other angles being especially sensitive at this point, in the run up to the Assembly elections.
Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel could be an inclusion from the State, as could BJP MPs Mahendranath Pandey and Krishna Raj. Former journalist and now Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh M.J. Akbar is also likely to be included in the Cabinet.
BJP chief Amit Shah began meetings with the likely candidates early in the morning, along with some party leaders, confirming that a reshuffle in the party organisation will be done alongside the Cabinet reshuffle.
Rajya Sabha member Vijay Goel also met with Mr. Shah, sparking speculation that he could get an important assignment on behalf of the party.
“The national team of the BJP will also be given a makeover once the Cabinet reshuffle is done. There will be some people who will be sent from the government to the party,” said a senior party office-bearer. He, however, did not give details.
