Polls and performance to guide imminent Cabinet reshuffle of Modi government

Polls and performance could be the guiding lights as the Narendra Modi government is slated to carry out the first reshuffle of its Union Cabinet likely this month, two years after BJP's second run-in to power.

The Modi 2.0 government may seek to give a message to the youth, who in the past had backed the Prime Minister solidly, by inducting several young faces in the Cabinet.

Keeping in mind the priorities of keeping the performance of the ministers during the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to send out a message to states going to polls in 2022, there is a buzz that leaders like former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, former Union Minister and Apna Dal (S) leader Anupriya Patel from Uttar Pradesh, whose party has a base among the second most dominant OBC caste Kurmis, and the recent inductee from Congress Jitin Prasada, who was a Union Minister during UPA governments may be given Cabinet berths.

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Sonowal, who belongs to Assam's indigenous Sonowal-Kachari tribe, was the Chief Minister of Assam from 2016 (when BJP formed its first government in the state leading to its expansion in the entire Northeast) till May 2021 when he was replaced by Himanta Biswa Sarma. He is rated highly in the party.

While Sonowal is in Delhi and will meet top BJP leaders, Shah has already met Anupriya Patel and Nishad Party leader Sanjay Nishad from UP. The BJP and RSS have held a series of high-level feedback exercises in UP as well as in Delhi over poll and pandemic in the last fortnight.

Also read: PM Modi meets Shah, Nadda amid Cabinet reshuffle buzz

Besides, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who gave Madhya Pradesh back to BJP in March 2020 when he deserted Congress with his band of MLAs, is set to get a heavyweight ministry. Recently, Scindia had scotched rumours about a change of Chief Minister in Madhya Pradesh, showering praise on Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

After Mukul Roy's departure to Trinamool Congress, BJP is keen to send a message to the hordes of TMC leaders who had joined it since Roy's entry in 2017. Hence, former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, who joined BJP from TMC this year, could be accommodated in the Union Cabinet.

Bihar could have at least three inductions. Former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, who was denied the post after NDA's poll victory in the state, could be inducted along with JDU's RCP Singh and LJP's Pashupati Kumar Paras, who recently staged a coup, showing the door to late Ram Vilas Paswan's son Chirag and becoming the party's leader in Lok Sabha as well as its president.

Inductions are also likely from Gujarat, where there is a demand for a leadership change and some internal dissension, besides Karnataka, where the clamour to replace Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is gaining some ground.

The needs of upcoming state polls in states Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Goa could also be drafted when the decision on Cabinet reshuffle is taken.

Some vacancies on account of the death of ministers like Ram Vilas Paswan (Bihar) in October 2020 and Suresh Angadi (Karnataka) in September 2020 and some due to exits of allies like Shiromani Akali DAl and Shiv Sena (Harsimrat Kaur Badal (protesting against farm laws in 2020) and Arvind Samant (November 2019, when Shiv Sena walked out of NDA) have also to be fulfilled.

The Prime Minister has met several Union Ministers in person in the last few days besides back to back meetings by BJP and RSS top brass in Delhi and elsewhere this month.

On June 11 Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief Nadda huddled with the Prime Minister over the Cabinet formation issue after which Shah and Nadda held meetings with Union ministers and party officers for two days on the weekends.