<div align="justify">A reshuffle of the Union Cabinet looked imminent as Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to hold on for "some time" on his offer to quit for the recent train mishaps. <br /><br />Modi discussed the exercise to BJP chief Amit Shah and Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, BJP officials said.<br /><br />Prabhu offered to quit, taking "moral responsibility" for the accidents in developments that saw the government appoint Air India chairman Ashwani Lohani as new Railway Board chairman in place of A K Mittal. <br /><br />“Accountability is a good system in the government...the Prime Minister will take a decision on whatever request the railway minister has made," Jaitley told reporters at a press conference held to convey decisions of the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. <br /><br />Aides said a reshuffle could take place as early a the end of this week or around September 3. BJP circles are abuzz with the talk that it could be a large exercise to carry out a revamp or instead of just reallocation of portfolios to adjust vacancies.<br /><br />Modi is expected to use the opportunity to bring young faces to re-energize his Council of Ministers before the next parliamentary polls due in 2019.<br /><br />Since he became PM, Modi has carried out only two Cabinet reshuffles and expansions — in November 2014 and July 2016. BJP officials said the "performance criteria" would be the bench mark. Besides, other factors include adequate representation for social groups in the states that go to polls in the next 15 months.<br /><br />A number of ministers of state who have handled important portfolios as an independent charge could be promoted to the Cabinet rank.<br /><br />The PM will have to take a call on a full-fledged Cabinet minister for defence. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has held the additional charge of defence since Manohar Parrikar moved to Goa as chief minister. <br /><br />When Union minister Anil Madhav Dave passed away on May 18, the portfolio of the environment, forests and climate change held by him was handed to science and technology minister Harsh Vardhan.<br /><br />Similarly, the portfolios held by Venkaiah Naidu who has become Vice President were reallocated to others. Textile Minister Smriti Irani got the additional charge of information and broadcasting Ministry, which was held by Naidu. <br /><br />She is set to retain the I&B ministry. Her first act has been to pack off CBFC chairman Pehlaj Nilhani who had become a thorn in the side of the government because of endless troubles with the cinema industry.<br /><br />The portfolio of urban development, which was with Naidu, was given to Narendra Singh Tomar, who has been handling rural development and Panchayati raj. Urban development may need someone who will have put more life into projects like Housing for All by 2022 and Smart Cities.<br /><br />The reshuffle is expected to take account the BJP's focus in the Assembly polls due in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka later this year and next. Elections are also due in Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Rajasthan in December 2018. <br /><br />The last Cabinet reshuffle in July 2016 saw 19 new ministers were inducted into the government. Currently, the Union Council of Ministers has 73 members, including the PM. <br /><br />Under Article 72 of the Constitution, the total number of ministers, including the PM, in the Union Council of Ministers shall not exceed 15 per cent of the number of members of the House of the People. Therefore, the maximum numbers of ministers that Modi can have in his government is 82. <br /></div>
<div align="justify">A reshuffle of the Union Cabinet looked imminent as Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to hold on for "some time" on his offer to quit for the recent train mishaps. <br /><br />Modi discussed the exercise to BJP chief Amit Shah and Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, BJP officials said.<br /><br />Prabhu offered to quit, taking "moral responsibility" for the accidents in developments that saw the government appoint Air India chairman Ashwani Lohani as new Railway Board chairman in place of A K Mittal. <br /><br />“Accountability is a good system in the government...the Prime Minister will take a decision on whatever request the railway minister has made," Jaitley told reporters at a press conference held to convey decisions of the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. <br /><br />Aides said a reshuffle could take place as early a the end of this week or around September 3. BJP circles are abuzz with the talk that it could be a large exercise to carry out a revamp or instead of just reallocation of portfolios to adjust vacancies.<br /><br />Modi is expected to use the opportunity to bring young faces to re-energize his Council of Ministers before the next parliamentary polls due in 2019.<br /><br />Since he became PM, Modi has carried out only two Cabinet reshuffles and expansions — in November 2014 and July 2016. BJP officials said the "performance criteria" would be the bench mark. Besides, other factors include adequate representation for social groups in the states that go to polls in the next 15 months.<br /><br />A number of ministers of state who have handled important portfolios as an independent charge could be promoted to the Cabinet rank.<br /><br />The PM will have to take a call on a full-fledged Cabinet minister for defence. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has held the additional charge of defence since Manohar Parrikar moved to Goa as chief minister. <br /><br />When Union minister Anil Madhav Dave passed away on May 18, the portfolio of the environment, forests and climate change held by him was handed to science and technology minister Harsh Vardhan.<br /><br />Similarly, the portfolios held by Venkaiah Naidu who has become Vice President were reallocated to others. Textile Minister Smriti Irani got the additional charge of information and broadcasting Ministry, which was held by Naidu. <br /><br />She is set to retain the I&B ministry. Her first act has been to pack off CBFC chairman Pehlaj Nilhani who had become a thorn in the side of the government because of endless troubles with the cinema industry.<br /><br />The portfolio of urban development, which was with Naidu, was given to Narendra Singh Tomar, who has been handling rural development and Panchayati raj. Urban development may need someone who will have put more life into projects like Housing for All by 2022 and Smart Cities.<br /><br />The reshuffle is expected to take account the BJP's focus in the Assembly polls due in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka later this year and next. Elections are also due in Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Rajasthan in December 2018. <br /><br />The last Cabinet reshuffle in July 2016 saw 19 new ministers were inducted into the government. Currently, the Union Council of Ministers has 73 members, including the PM. <br /><br />Under Article 72 of the Constitution, the total number of ministers, including the PM, in the Union Council of Ministers shall not exceed 15 per cent of the number of members of the House of the People. Therefore, the maximum numbers of ministers that Modi can have in his government is 82. <br /></div>
