Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to chair a crucial meeting of the Union Council of Ministers on July 3, officials announced on Thursday. The meeting comes following intensive discussions held by Modi with top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), fueling speculation about a potential reshuffle in his Council of Ministers.

The July 3 meeting is expected to take place at the newly-constructed convention centre in Pragati Maidan, which is also set to host the G20 summit in September. Earlier this week, Modi engaged in extensive deliberations with Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, and other prominent leaders.

Nadda’s participation in the meeting has prompted speculation regarding possible changes in both, the Government and the BJP organisation, including at the State-level. These discussions coincide with the party’s preparations for crucial Assembly elections scheduled later this year, as well as the highly-anticipated 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

In recent days, Shah, Nadda, and BJP general secretary (Organisation) BL Santosh have held multiple rounds of deliberations, focusing on organisational and political matters. The Council of Ministers’ meeting is scheduled just before the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is expected to commence in the third week of July.

Notably, there has not been a significant reshuffle in the Modi Cabinet for almost two years. However, in May, the demise of Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Rattan Lal Kataria, created a vacancy that was subsequently filled by Arjun Ram Meghwal. The last major reshuffle took place in July 2021 when 12 Ministers were removed from the Modi Government and 17 new Ministers were sworn in.

During the previous reshuffle, notable figures such as Ravi Shankar Prasad, Harsh Vardhan, Prakash Javadekar, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Santosh Gangwar were among those removed from the Cabinet.