NEW DELHI: Speculation is rife in the corridors of power that the ministries of minority affairs and steel are among the few departments which are likely to get new ministers in the expected reshuffle in the Union Council of Ministers. The buzz is that a well-calculated reshuffle in the Union cabinet is on the cards either before the start of the budget session (January 31) or after February 10 when the first round of the session ends.
The Budget session of Parliament is likely to start on January 31 with the presentation of the general budget on February 1. BJP sources on Wednesday hinted that the reshuffle might take place after the party’s national executive meeting on January 16-17 at the party central office with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending it. “It is expected that some new faces may be inducted in the Union cabinet as ministers while some old faces may get new responsibilities either in the cabinet or within the organisation ahead of the 2024 general election,” said a senior party leader.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs is headed by Smriti Irani while that of steel is helmed by Jyotiraditya Scindia. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs and the Ministry of Textiles may also get a new minister, which is currently headed by Piyush Goyal. There is also speculation that the Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology may also get new faces to head.
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“It is being expected that one face from the minority communities may get a berth in the Modi team to head the ministry of minority affairs, which was earlier headed by Mukhtar Naqvi. The prominent name among new faces doing the rounds is CR Patil from Gujarat. “The names of CR Patil and Dharamendra Pradhan are also doing the rounds as probable successors to JP Nadda if the tenure of JP Nadda as party president is not endorsed,” said a source.
It is also said the LJP (Ram Vilas Paswan), led by Chirag Paswan, may also get a berth in the cabinet. Sources said the party’s loss in Himachal Pradesh assembly elections and civic body polls in Delhi may have some reflections in changes in the cabinet.
Some MPs from poll-bound Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana too are speculated to be inducted into the cabinet. The changes in Modi’s council of ministers have always been marked by shock exits and surprise entries, and have also hit headlines for the changes in portfolios of incumbents. Last time, Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad were dropped from the cabinet while former IAS officer Ashwini Vaishnaw was inducted and given key ministries like railways and information technology.