A reshuffle in the Union Council of Ministers appears imminent, with the exercise likely to be carried out before the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which normally begins in the third week of the month. According to sources from PTI, the ministerial reshuffle is expected to be undertaken alongside the announcement of the BJP's new organisational team under party president Nitin Nabin, with the sources indicating that Team Nitin Nabin is likely to be announced soon as the BJP top brass has finalised the list. The sources told PTI that Nabin also held consultations with a few Union ministers of state last week, with strong possibilities of some Union ministers being shifted to organisational roles in the BJP and party office-bearers being inducted into the Modi government. The reshuffle, if it happens, may take place sometime in July, ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament which normally begins in the third week of the month.
The government's top brass is reportedly taking into account political compulsions to balance the cabinet based on regional, state, caste and loyalty factors. As reported by PTI, there is a growing view within the government's top brass that some key ministries require 'fresh blood', with political considerations also expected to influence the composition of the new council of ministers. Two Union ministers -- Pankaj Chaudhary and Harsh Malhotra -- have already been appointed presidents of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh and Delhi units respectively, and it is highly likely that the BJP will follow its 'one man, one post' rule, which could result in their exit from the government. Additionally, more representatives from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab are likely to find a place in the Modi ministry, as Assembly elections are due in these three states next year. Younger leaders are expected to feature prominently in the reshuffle, alongside experienced veterans, with the exercise aimed at strengthening the party's presence, particularly in southern states.
Several ministerial changes are being speculated, with Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's future under a cloud given controversies relating to matters under his ministry, particularly the alleged NEET paper leak and irregularities in the CBSE digital marking system. According to PTI sources, speculation is also rife about changes in portfolios of some ministers, with the future of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remaining uncertain. Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian has resigned, sparking speculation of a Cabinet reshuffle after his Rajya Sabha term concluded without renomination, with President Murmu accepting his resignation. Two other Union ministers -- George Kurian and Ravneet Singh Bittu -- were not re-nominated by the BJP in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections, with their terms in the Upper House ending on June 21. While Kurian has already resigned from the Union ministry, Bittu continues to serve as a minister and has been asked by the party leadership to focus on the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections. One or two faces among the seven Rajya Sabha MPs who deserted the Aam Aadmi Party to join the BJP could find a place in the council of ministers, the sources said. Two Union ministers -- Hardeep Puri and BL Verma -- will also see their Rajya Sabha terms end in November, with their renomination decisions pending.
Following the BJP's landslide victory in West Bengal, some of its MPs from the state could be inducted into the Union Ministry, as reported by PTI. There is a possibility that a few representatives of the rebel Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) groups may secure ministerial berths, with the 20 rebel TMC MPs having announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India and declared support for the NDA, while the six dissident Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs have joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Additionally, a senior functionary of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena could also be inducted as a Cabinet minister, according to PTI sources. However, the sources cautioned that any decision to induct members from the breakaway TMC and Shiv Sena (UBT) factions would depend on the Lok Sabha Speaker's ruling, as their parent parties have sought their disqualification under the anti-defection law.
The timing of the reshuffle is expected to be finalised keeping in view Prime Minister Narendra Modi's packed schedule, with Prime Minister Modi on a three-day visit to Seychelles from June 27 to 29 and likely to travel to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand between July 6 and 11. As reported by PTI, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is also scheduled to visit New Delhi from July 1 to 3. The speculation over a cabinet reshuffle intensified after Prime Minister Modi met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 23 on the sidelines of the Padma Awards ceremony, with the reshuffle buzz gathering further momentum after Union Home Minister Amit Shah also met the President on June 25. Officials described both meetings as courtesy calls, saying the Prime Minister and the Home Minister meet the President at regular intervals, though PTI sources indicated it was 'highly probable' that the reshuffle issue figured during the Prime Minister's meeting with the President. Three governors -- Thawar Chand Gehlot (Karnataka), Mangubhai Patel (Madhya Pradesh) and Lt General Gurmit Singh (Uttarakhand) -- are set to complete their terms in the coming months, with Gehlot and Patel ending their tenures in July and Singh in September, creating potential opportunities for ministerial exits to be appointed as governors.
