The BJP could go in for a mini reshuffle in its quota of Ministers ahead of the Assembly elections early next year.
Interestingly, in May 2011, during the first tenure of present SAD-BJP combine in Punjab, there was a reshuffle, triggering speculations that there could be another one now.
The new State BJP chief, Vijay Sampla has called a meeting with all the four BJP Ministers in the Parkash Singh Badal Cabinet on Friday. BJP Punjab Affairs In-charge Prabhat Jha will also be attending the meeting.
The four Ministers of the party, Madan Mohan Mittal, Anil Joshi, Bhagat Chunni lal and Surjit Kumar Jiyani were sent message for the meeting early on Thursday. The meeting was earlier scheduled for May 11, but was postponed at the eleventh hour. Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla, who was in Delhi on Thursday, returned to Chandigarh in the evening.
Party sources say that the final call on reshuffle would be taken after May 19, when the results in five north-eastern States, where Assembly elections are underway, would be declared.
While there is no clarity on the number of replacements to be made in Cabinet, Madan Mohan Mittal and Anil Joshi are said to be most likely to be replaced. Former Cabinet Minister Manoranjan Kalia is most likely to find a berth in the Cabinet. Names of Som Parkash and Dinesh Singh Babu are also doing rounds.
It is learnt that the party high command is concerned about the image of the party in the state and is planning to present a strong face of the party before the State goes in the Assembly polls next year. The party executive is also expected to be given final shape in the meeting and some new and young faces are likely to be taken for plum posting in Team Sampla.
Sources say that the blue print for party executive and the Cabinet was ready for sometime and it seems to have been given a go ahead by the high command.