Speculations of a major reshuffle in the Union Cabinet (Modi Cabinet) are intensifying. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet expansion and reshuffle is expected to take place on Sunday or Monday.
Sources claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah met President Draupadi Murmu on Thursday to discuss the possible adjustment schedule. But no official announcement has come yet.
According to sources, as a result of the reshuffle, there may be a change in the responsibilities of several important ministries. Apart from this, the cabinet may include some new faces as cabinet ministers.
There is speculation that former Reserve Bank Governor and former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Shaktikanta Das may be inducted into the Cabinet as a full-time minister.
There is also speculation that current Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman may be given the Human Resource Development (Education) ministry.
Current Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Hardeep Singh Puri are expected to be dropped from the Cabinet.
Sources also claimed that Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar may lose his current power ministry.
There are also rumors that more than half a dozen ministers of state may be dropped from the cabinet.
Meanwhile, there is speculation that six MPs from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena may be rewarded for coming out in support of the NDA.
In such a scenario, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde may be given full-time ministership. Pratap Yadav may also be given the portfolio of Minister of State for Health to Sanjay Dina Patil. However, sources claim that Yadav may have the AYUSH ministry.
Former Union minister Anurag Thakur is also rumored to return to the cabinet as a full-time minister.
Khajuraho MP Bishnu Dutta Sharma and Maharajganj MP Janardan Singh Chigriwal are also likely to be included in the cabinet.
There may be an attempt to disrupt the political balance in the cabinet ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections next year.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party’s leaders who left the Punjab may also be looked at. There is speculation that one of Raghav Chadha and Ashok Mittal could make it to the cabinet.
Sources also claimed that Union Minister Rabinit Singh Bittu could be replaced by Tarun Chugh, a close associate of the RSS.
As JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar continues to gain political prominence in the NDA, there are speculations that new faces from his party may also make it to the cabinet.
It should be noted that all this information is still based on political sources and assumptions. There has been no official announcement from the central government or the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the cabinet reshuffle or new inductees. As a result, the final picture about the possible changes will be clear only after the official announcement.