New Delhi: Ahead of a likely reshuffle in the government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a crucial meet of his council of ministers later today in what is being dubbed as a performance review.
Reports said that performance of ministers will be reviewed and they have been asked to make presentations on work done in the two years the BJP-led government has been in power.
Modi is planning a major revamp of his Union Cabinet ahead of his four African nations tour, starting July 7. Sources said that a reshuffle of the Union Cabinet is likely to take place on July 4 with more representation expected to be given to poll-bound Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
Sources said that the Prime Minister discussed the probable names to be inducted into the Cabinet with BJP president Amit Shah in a meeting yesterday. PM Modi is also likely to discuss the names with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in next few days.
Some Ministers of State rank could also be elevated to Cabinet rank, sources said.
As many as 10 portfolios could be changed in the upcoming reshuffle.
This rejig will be BJP-centric and the allies will not be given more representation, sources said, adding that Piyush Goyal and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (both MoS) may be elevated to the Cabinet rank.
The need to induct new faces into the Union Cabinet has been also necessitated following the resignation of Sarbanand Sonowal, who left the Cabinet to become Assam Chief Minister. Also, MoS Vijay Sampala has been made Punjab BJP chief, and thus, could be divested of ministerial charge.
The focus of this reshuffle is likely to be on Uttar Pradesh and Punjab where Assembly elections are scheduled early next year. Among the probable names doing the rounds from politically significant Uttar Pradesh are party lawmakers Yogi Adityanath, Satyapal Singh and Sadhvi Savitri Bai Phoole. The names of Navjot Singh Sidhu, Rameshwar Teli from Assam are also doing the rounds.
