PM calls review meet amid buzz of reshuffle

The much-awaited reshuffle of the Union Cabinet is expected anytime, as a full review of the first meeting of the Council of Ministers has been convened on Thursday.

Sources said that after returning from his five-nation tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a meeting of his Council of Ministers. This meeting, scheduled for Thursday, will be attended by all Cabinet ministers, ministers of State with independent charge, and other ministers of State. It includes members from the BJP, JDU, TDP, and other NDA partners.

Speculations are rife about the reshuffle ever since the five Assembly elections were concluded, with West Bengal being the big catch for the party, where Home Minister Amit Shah was leading from the front. Sources said the BJP’s long-awaited organisational reshuffle is also on the cards, with party leaders indicating that it could happen soon, followed by the changes in the Government.

According to BJP and Government sources, this time, the primary focus will be on generational shifts and young faces, given the elevation of Nitin Nabin as boss of the party. Senior Ministers will be able to retain their positions based on their performance, while many will be replaced by new faces based on the cadre’s performance and worthiness.

While seven Rajya Sabha MPs from AAP merged itself to BJP-led by Raghav Chadda, there was a change of guard in Bihar as well where Nitish Kumar who got in Rajya Sabha paved way for a BJP CM for the first time.

Following the installation of BJP Governments in Bengal and Assam, and the return of the NDA regime in Puducherry, Amit Shah — considered the party’s chief strategist — held separate meetings with several BJP State chief ministers, including Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Uttarakhand CM Dhami, and the chief ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, as well as relevant State functionaries. 

Simultaneously, BJP President Nitin Nabin too held marathon meetings at the party headquarters in the last two days, while sources said the party high command also got in touch with its major stakeholders, JDU and Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu. 

At the meeting to be chaired by the PM on Thursday, the functioning of various ministries and departments, key decisions taken in the recent past, their outcomes and future plans will be discussed, the sources said on Wednesday.

Sources said sectors like energy, agriculture, fertilisers, aviation, shipping and logistics may get focused attention at the meeting.

The prime minister had earlier outlined the reform priorities for the next 10 years, asserting that his Government’s “Reform Express” has delivered systemic transformation and benefited common citizens in a significant way.

All the probable changes will take into account the 2027 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. The party is eyeing Punjab, where it is no longer allied with the Shiromani Akali Dal and is preparing for a direct contest with the ruling AAP, as the State would see an interesting three-cornered contest with Congress in between.