New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to induct about a dozen new faces in his council of ministers and re-allocate some key portfolios in Cabinet reshuffle on Sunday, his last major revamp ahead of 2019 general elections.
The new ministers will be sworn in by President Ram Nath Kovind in a ceremony at 10 am in the Rashtrapati Bhawan, just before the prime minister leaves for the BRICS summit in China.
At least seven union ministers, including Bandaru Dattatreya and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, have already put in their papers in the last two days. Union minister for micro, small and medium enterprises Kalraj Mishra resigned on Saturday.
PM Modi may also reallocate some key portfolios in line with his agenda of governance.
At least eight ministers are likely to be “edged out” from the current 73-member Union council of ministers, a media report said, citing BJP sources.
The prime minister also has the option of inducting at least 15 new faces in the government as there can be a maximum of 81 members.
According to the Hindustan Times, PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah had met on Thursday to discuss the names who could be considered for induction.
There has been speculation that the reshuffle could see the entry of JD-U nominees into the Union Council of Ministers, with the party striking an alliance with the BJP in Bihar. From the JD-U quota, Rajya Sabha MP R.C.P. Singh and Santosh Kumar are strong contenders.
However, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Saturday that there has been no proposal as yet for his JD-U party to join the government at the Centre. Kumar said that if his party gets any such proposal he will take a call.
On Friday, Amit Shah had briefed the top RSS leadership about PM Modi’s Cabinet reshuffle during a three-day coordination meet of the right-wing Hindu nationalist group, ANI reported.
Meanwhile, AIADMK’s entry into the union government still remained uncertain. AIADMK leaders Thambidurai, P Venugopal and V Maitreyan may be the likely party representatives if it decides to join the government.
NDA partner Shiv Sena has reportedly not received any communication from the BJP over the inclusion of its members in the Union cabinet.
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