Modi ‘likely to expand cabinet in August’

The second term of the Narendra Modi government is likely to see its first cabinet expansion. Party sources claim the council of ministers will be expanded in the second week of August

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in with 57 ministers on May 30, 2019.

According to the rules, a maximum of 81 ministers can be appointed — 15% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha. The previous Modi government had 70 ministers.

In such a situation, it is believed that this time too, if the prime minister goes by the last time figure, at least 13 new ministers can get a place in the government.

Party sources say that RSS cohead Krishnagopal, BJP national president J P Nadda and the party’s organisation general secretary B L Santosh met Prime Minister Modi on this issue in June.

It is Krishnagopal who oversees the co-ordination between the RSS and the BJP.

A BJP leader said, “The list of national president J P Nadda’s team is ready, it clearly reveals who will come from the organisation to the government and from the government to the organisation and the states from where people will be inducted into the organisation. The blueprint has been set.”

Sources say national general secretaries Bhupendra Yadav, Anil Jain, Anil Baluni could become ministers. A minister associated with Rajasthan can be dropped. Eight Cabinet ministers hold two to three ministries. Some ministers with independent charge also have more than one ministry. In such a situation, the workload of these ministers can be reduced, the sources added.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, who became a Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh, is also in the running for a potential cabinet berth in the Modi government.

Sources say that on the lines of S Jaishankar, some experts may also be inducted into the council of ministers.

The JD-U may also be given a stake in the government due to the impending Bihar elections in November.

Party sources say there is a high probability of changes in the middle order in the Modi government.

Sources claim the groundwork for the expansion of the council of ministers was initiated by Prime Minister Modi, when he held a marathon review meeting of the council of ministers on December 21, after the performance report of the ministers was prepared.