Key meeting: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of his Council of Ministers on Monday (July 3) amid the ongoing speculations about the possibilities of a Cabinet reshuffle.
The meeting is expected to be held at the newly built convention centre at Pragati Maidan in the national capital, which will host the G20 summit in September this year.
The political shift in Maharashtra on Sunday with Ajit Pawar jumping the ship from the Opposition ranks and joining the Eknath Shinde government along with some NCP MLAs, and a number of closed-door meetings involving Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J P Nadda, have given impetus on the view that a Cabinet reshuffle is on the cards.
Former Union minister and senior NCP MP Praful Patel, who ditched his Sharad Pawar to join hands with his nephew, is being seen as a probable contender who is among the likely new ministers in the central government.
With the swearing-in of Ajit Pawar as a Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, raising the number of leaders holding the post to two, speculations are now rife that Devendra Fadnavis, the sitting Deputy Chief Minister, and a key leader for the party in the state, being shifted to the Centre.
Cabinet berth to allies?
The BJP sources indicated that the alliance partners will be given a berth in the Cabinet whenever PM Modi decides to move further with the reshuffle of the Council of Ministers.
Also that the time before the commencement of the Parliament’s Monsoon Session slated to begin from July 20 could be the last period for the reshuffle have added fuel to the rejig buzz.
“The BJP's organisation, including in some states, may also see some changes as its top brass makes its choices for key positions with the campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls intensifying,” sources said.
PM Modi had held a meeting with Amit Shah and JP Nadda on June 28 which came after closed-door meetings involving the Home Minister and the party president, among others, to take stock of organisational and political affairs.
Notably, the Cabinet reshuffle, if takes place, will also be a factor in the upcoming assembly polls as well.
The BJP has been making hectic preparations for several state polls scheduled this year, with the Congress showing some bounce following its big win in Karnataka.
Elections are due in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram later this year, and the Congress will be the BJP's main challenger in the first three states.
(With PTI inputs)
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