This will be the first Cabinet expansion in Modi’s government after he came back to power in 2019. The Union Cabinet can have 81 members.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to effect the first reshuffle in his Council of Ministers on Wednesday since he assumed the charge for a second term in May 2019. The latest exercise is tipped to be a ‘major shake-up’ of the government as the Prime Minister looks to make it more representative with an eye on political and governance challenges. The states which will go to the assembly polls early next year, including the all-important Uttar Pradesh, may figure high. West Bengal may also see its representation in the Union Council of Ministers go up, the sources said. It is believed that the BJP’s allies like JD(U) and Apna Dal can also get representation. The Union Cabinet can have 81 members. At present, there are 53 ministers. There is a scope for adding 28 new faces.
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Cabinet expansion: List of leaders to be promoted
RK Singh, G Kishan Reddy, Anurag Thakur, Mansukh Mandaviya, Parshottam Rupala are likely to be promoted during today’s Cabinet rejig exercise.
Ahead of the Union Cabinet expansion on Wednesday evening, ministerial probables met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence. Those meeting Modi included BJP’s Narayan Rane, Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ajay Bhatt, Bhupender Yadav, Shobha Karandlaje, Sunita Duggal, Meenakshi Lekhi, Bharati Pawar, Shantanu Thakur and Kapil Patil, JD(U)’s R C P Singh, LJP’s Pashupati Paras and Apna Dal’s Anupriya Patel. Some ministers of state, including G Kishan Reddy, Parshottam Rupala and Anurag Thakur, were also there, and they may be elevated, sources said.
Shape of the new Council of Ministers
4 FORMER CHIEF MINISTERS IN CABINET | CABINET TO HAVE 18 FORMER STATE MINISTERS | CABINET TO HAVE 39 FORMER MLAs | 23 MPs WHO HAVE BEEN ELECTED FOR 3 OR MORE TERMS
PROFILE OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS: 13 LAWYERS | 6 DOCTORS | 5 ENGINEERS | 7 FORMER CIVIL SERVANTS | 46 MINISTERS WITH EXPERIENCE IN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT | AVERAGE AGE OF CABINET NOW 58 | 14 MINISTERS WILL BE BELOW 50 | 11 WOMEN IN THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS 2 WITH CABINET RANK
CASTE REPRESENTATION: 5 MINORITY MINISTERS: 1 Muslim; 1 Sikh; 2 Buddhists; 1 Christian | 27 OBC MINISTERS IN COUNCIL OF WHICH 5 OF CABINET RANK | 8 ST MINISTERS IN COUNCIL 3 OF CABINET RANK | 12 SC MINISTERS IN COUNCIL 2 OF CABINET RANK
Santosh Gangwar resigns ahead of Cabinet expansion
Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar says he has resigned from Union Cabinet. He has been MP for the city of Bareilly since 1989 till date (except 2009-2014)
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal relieved from Modi Cabinet
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has been dropped the Modi Cabinet. Sources told India TV that he has been relieved from the Education Ministry just ahead of the Cabinet expansion
12:30 PM(IST)Posted by Abhinav Ranjan
Union Minister Debasree Chaudhuri relieved ahead of Cabinet expansion
Union Minister Debasree Chaudhuri has been relieved just ahead of the Cabinet expansion today evening. She served as the Minister of State for Women and Child Development.
JD(U) set to join Union cabinet
JD(U) national president RCP Singh reached Delhi last evening. He is top runner among the probables for a ministerial berth from the JDU. Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan and Santosh Kushwaha could also take oath today.
Cabinet expansion: PM Modi to go for younger leaders
Against the massive review exercise within the central government and the party machinery, Prime Minister Narendra Modi may go for new faces with an eye on grooming younger leaders while also factoring in caste and regional balances. There is also a buzz about Modi inducting some professionals and those with domain expertise besides bringing in more women.
BJP looks to boost its partners’ representation
Representation of BJP MPs from West Bengal and the Northeast may go up. Another BJP ally All India Jharkhand Students Union may also get a berth. The BJP looks to boost its partners’ representation in the ministry after its old allies like Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal severed their ties with it. Ramadas Athavale, a junior minister, is the only BJP ally in the government as of now.
