BHUBANESWAR: The buzz over a cabinet reshuffle intensified with Deepali Das taking oath as member of the state assembly within 48 hours of her thumping victory in the Jharsuguda bypoll. She had met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Naveen Nivas on Sunday after winning the by-election.
However, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Pramila Mallick told mediapersons that cabinet reshuffle will take place whenever the chief minister wants it and he will decide the distribution of portfolios.
Speculation is rife that out of the three members likely to be inducted into the ministry, two could be women. Besides Deepali, the names of Padampur MLA Barsha Singh Bariha and Kabisurjyanagar MLA Latika Pradhan are doing the rounds.
The Naveen Patnaik cabinet has three vacancies. One fell vacant after the murder of health minister Naba Kishore Das on January 29 while ministers of state, Samir Ranjan Dash and Srikant Sahu, tendered their resignation along with Speaker of the assembly Bikram Keshari Arukha on Friday.
Going by region-wise calculations, one cabinet berth each from coastal, western and southern district is vacant. While Arukha could come in from Ganjam, the race for western and coastal districts has intensified. Since the BJD has a strong base in coastal districts, the chief minister may induct one woman member each from western or southern district. Chances are that two women members from western districts could get space because of the growing challenge of the BJP from those areas.
Meanwhile, there is still no official word on when Governor Ganeshi Lal will return from Haryana trip. Sources said he was supposed to be back on May 22 but may also return earlier if a reshuffle is scheduled.
The chief minister will start review of performance of different ministers from May 22. Sources maintained that reshuffle may also get delayed till the performance appraisal of the ministers is complete.