The much-awaited reshuffle of the Modi Cabinet will take place on Tuesday with the induction of 19 new faces and major focus on Uttar Pradesh that goes to poll early next year. Most of the new faces are expected to get the status of Ministers of State (MoS). The reshuffle could also see the ouster of some MoSs and change in portfolios of some others.
Going by the nature of the reshuffle, it is an exercise aimed at restoring the caste balance in some poll-bound States and addressing regional considerations. There is great deal of emphasis on empowering tribals and Dalits. Two of the new faces, Jasvantsinh Bhabhor and Faggan Singh Kulaste, come from a tribal community, while five others, Ajay Tamta, Ramdas Athawale, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Ramesh Jigajinagi and Krishna Raj, are from the Scheduled Castes. MJ Akbar and SS Ahluwalia will represent the aspirations of minorities in the Cabinet. Two women, Anupriya Singh Patel and Krishna Raj, could also be part of Tuesday’s Cabinet expansion.
The new Ministers who will take oath on Tuesday have been pulled in from 10 States, UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Assam.
Sources said that the selection framework clearly laid out by the Prime Minister was to bring in “doers” and “performers” who would deliver on his vision of development and good governance, and further his central priority of gaon, garib and kisan.
The expansion came after an exhaustive selection process to find the best talent. People were assessed on the value they would bring to the Union Council of Ministers.
An official said this was a firm departure from the usual routine of frequent changes, based on caste, religion and other time-serving political considerations and is a firm endorsement of the brand of developmental politics that the Prime Minister champions.
Ahead of the changes, a number of NDA MPs met BJP president Amit Shah, indicating their possible induction into the Council of Ministers. Among those who met Shah included Apna Dal MP Anupriya Patel and BJP MPs SS Ahluwalia, Vijay Goel and MP from Pali in Rajasthan PP Chaudhary. Anupriya is an MP from Mirzapur in UP, whose party calls the shots among Patels in the State. Apna Dal has now merged with the BJP.
The BJP parliamentarian from Bikaner in Rajasthan and chief whip of the party in lok Sabha Arjun Ram Meghwal, party’s member of the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat Mansukhbhai Mandavia and another Rajya Sabha MP Anil Dave from Madhya Pradesh also called on Shah one after another.
Besides, Ajay Tamta, a Dalit lok Sabha member from Uttarakhand, which will go to the polls with UP early next year, Purushottam Rupala, a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat, Ramdas Athawale, a RPI Dalit MP from Maharashtra, Mahendra Nath Pandey, an MP from UP, are among the likely inclusions.
Krishna Raj, another BJP Dalit MP from UP, may also be make it to the Modi Cabinet. A berth for Shiv Sena, a disgruntled ally though, is also waiting to be filled.
Among the most keenly-watched inductions would be the Prime Minister’s pick from politically crucial UP that returned 73 MPs for the NDA and is set for a big electoral battle in a little over six months.
BJP’s national spokesman and former scribe MJ Akbar is also a strong contender for a berth in Modi’s Cabinet.
There is also a vacancy in the Council of Ministers after Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal became the Chief Minister of Assam. Besides, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla, who was recently inducted as president of Punjab BJP would require a replacement.
This will be the second expansion of the Cabinet after Modi came to power in May, 2014. The first expansion had occurred in November 2014.
There are currently 64 Union Ministers, including the Prime Minister, and there can be a maximum of 82 of them under a Constitutional bar. The head room for good expansion exists, sources said.
Sources said that professional expertise was considered while zeroing in on the new faces. The new Ministers were identified from various walks of life, who would bring to bear their unique rich experience and expertise to their office, an official said.
For example, PP Chaudhary is a senior Supreme Court advocate with over four decades of experience in Constitutional litigation. MJ Akbar is a veteran editor and internationally-acclaimed journalist while Arjun Ram Meghwal is a former Government officer from Rajasthan with rich administrative experience. Anil Madhav Dave has published multiple books in Hindi and is active in Narmada River Conservation.
State leaders having understanding of State and local issues have been identified in particular. Ramesh Jigajinagi has been Cabinet Minister of Home in Karnataka, Rupala has been Cabinet Minister of Agriculture in Gujarat, Bhabhor has been Minister of Tribal Affairs and Rural Development in Gujarat, Mahendra Nath Pandey has been Minister of Urban Development in Uttar Pradesh.
Central Government experience was also a factor to pick up the new Ministers. Faggan Kulaste has been MoS for Tribal Affairs and Vijay Goel has been MoS for Youth Affairs and Sports.
Fresh talent has been identified to bring its own fresh perspective and exuberance. Anupriya Singh Patel comes with a strong academic base (lSR + MBA) as well as strong organisational skills. Mansukh Mandaviya has spent a long time in Gujarat’s agricultural sector, including heading Gujarat Agro-Industries Corporation.
Political experience has also come handy for people like six-term MP and one-term MlA Kulaste; five-term MP and three-term MlA Jigajinagi, five-term MP SS Ahluwalia; four-term MP Vijay Goel and Rajan Gohain.
People with strong academic backgrounds have also been rewarded. Mahendra Nath Pandey has a PhD from Banaras Hindu University, Bhamre has a super specialisation in cancer surgery and CR Chaudhary studied rural development at University of Birmingham.