Confusion Prevails Over Inclusions And Exclusions In Union Cabinet Ahead Of Rejig

New Delhi: A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the participation of the AIADMK and the JD(U) in the Union Cabinet as Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertakes a major revamp on Sunday to fill key vacancies and bring in new faces ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

More than half-a-dozen ministers are expected to make way for several new faces in the reshuffle, being seen as a balancing act between Modi's avowed thrust on merit and demands of realpolitik. Union ministers - Kalraj Mishra, Bandaru Dattatreya, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Sanjiv Kumar Balyan, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahendra Nath Pandey - had resigned on Friday ahead of the reshuffle. Uma Bharti, too, had offered to resign but her fate remains in a balance amid speculation that there may be a few more exits.

Arun Jaitley, who currently holds the charge of two heavyweight portfolios--finance and defence - may retain only one, sources said. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, seen as one of the more capable ministers, can be given more responsibility. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who had taken moral responsibility for a string of train accidents and indicated his willingness to resign, may be moved to another ministry, the sources said. Other incumbents, including Steel Minister Birender Singh, may be moved to other ministries.

BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav, party's vice president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Prahlad Patel, Suresh Angadi, Satyapal Singh, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Anurag Thakur, Shobha Karandlaje, Maheish Girri and Prahlad Joshi are being talked about within the party as among the probable ministers.

There are also talks of a greater representation from existing allies like the TDP and the Shiv Sena. The current strength of the council of ministers, including the prime minister, is 73 and the maximum number of ministers cannot go beyond 81.

Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah are likely to hold a final round of discussion to finalise the rejig, the third since NDA came to power in 2014. Shah returned to the capital today after attending a crucial coordination meeting with various RSS outfits in Vrindavan on Friday. Internal troubles in the AIADMK, which has been hit by a rebellion led by TTV Dhinakaran, can prove to be a stumbling block in its joining the government.

AIADMK leader Thambidurai, who met Shah on Friday, might be a likely representative from the party along with P Venugopal and V Maitreyan if it decides to join the government. However, the southern party has not said anything so far. The Nitish Kumar led-JD(U), which joined the NDA recently, had not been informed about their participation in the government, party sources said.

"Our MPs are in Delhi. There was never any issue in the party over participating in the government but there has been no communication to us even though the reshuffle is tomorrow," a senior JD(U) leader said. BJP sources, however, played down the confusion over whether or not the two parties will join the government, saying things will fall into place before the event.

After assuming office in May 2014, Modi expanded his council of ministers twice--first on November 9, 2014 and then on July 5, 2016.