Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mega Cabinet reshuffle, the first in his second term, is all set to take place between 5.30 pm and 6 pm on Wednesday, top party sources told The Daily Guardian. They added that the new Cabinet will have greater representation from Dalits, OBCs, women and youth.
Sources emphasised that the Dalit community and youth will have a record representation in the new Cabinet. Also, keeping in mind the coming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the state is likely to get extra attention, and special care has been taken to represent major communities and regions of the state.
A meeting of the Union Cabinet has been called at 11 am on Wednesday to deliberate on the expansion.
Potential ministers have already reached or are in the process of reaching Delhi. BJP’s national organisation general secretary B.L. Santosh called potential ministers and asked them to reach the national capital.
Even before the expansion of the Cabinet, the process in Delhi has intensified and the names of the potential ministers are becoming clear. Sources say that while the BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, has got a call from the central leadership to come to Delhi, Narayana Rane from Maharashtra and Sarbananda Sonowal from Assam have already reached the national capital.
Chirag Paswan’s uncle Pashupati Paras, who divided the LJP, is also believed to be gearing up for a new role. Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (United) has demanded that it should want 4 of its ministers in the Cabinet. JD-U president R.C.P. Singh and Nitish Kumar had a meeting on this issue a day ago. Now Nitish Kumar has sent Singh to Delhi so that he can talk to the BJP central leadership about increasing the quota.
At present 28 ministerial posts are vacant in the Cabinet and it is being said that about 20 MPs can be sworn in as ministers. According to sources, PM Modi has held meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP organisation general secretary B.L. Santosh on Cabinet expansion for two days.
According to the JD-U, if the BJP, with 17 MPs in Bihar, has 5 ministers at the Centre, the JD-U, with 16 MPs, should at least get 4 ministerial posts. The party says that it needs 2 Cabinet ministers and 2 state ministers.
Interestingly, Union Minister Thawarchand Gehlot has been removed from the post of Social Justice Minister and made the Governor of Karnataka. Already, the Madhya Pradesh quota seat has been lying vacant in the Cabinet for the Scindia. Along with this, the way has also been cleared for three more leaders to become ministers. Many contenders have emerged for the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by Gehlot’s departure.
Meanwhile, Scindia visited the Mahakal temple in Ujjain on Tuesday morning. As soon as he came out of the temple, he got a call from the BJP central leadership. Soon after, he cancelled further programmes and left for Delhi.
LJP’s Pashupati Paras was seen busy shopping for kurtas in Patna. His name is also in the reckoning for the Modi Cabinet.