Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to go for a second round of Cabinet reshuffle early next week before he heads for Europe and Canada tour, sources said on Saturday. Three Ministers of State are likely to be elevated as Cabinet Ministers.
Ministers of State Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Manoj Sinha are likely to be included in the Modi Cabinet, said sources, adding Minority Affairs Minister Najma Neptullah may be dropped.
According to the sources, Bharatiya Janata Party also wants to accomodate its allies, so a ministerial berth can be given to Shiv Sena and Peoples Democratic Party. Sena MP Anil Desai is likely to be given a ministerial berth.
The Cabinet reshuffle assumes significance as it takes place just before the second part of the Budget session of Parliament where the government wants a united National Democratic Alliance.
The government had a tough time in the first part of the Budget session in getting the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill passed in Rajya Sabha as it lacked the required numbers.
In a major expansion of the Cabinet in November 2014, 21 new ministers were sworn-in including Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu.
JP Nadda, who also joined the Union Cabinet, got the portfolio of Health and Family Welfare portfolio, held by Harsh Vardhan who has been shifted to the Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Ministry.
The Modi Cabinet has a total of 66 ministers, with 27 including PM holding Cabinet rank, 13 Ministers of State with independent charge and 26 Ministers of State.
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