Cabinet, CCEA to hold meeting today

NEW DELHI: Amid the buzz of an imminent reshuffle in the Union cabinet, the cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) and Union cabinet meetings are scheduled to be held on Wednesday.

The buzz that was going on for quite sometime intensified after series of meetings took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda in the national capital. Sources stated Nadda had been frequently visiting PM’s residence for a month now.

Earlier sources in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stated that the party is likely to accommodate a few of its prominent leaders and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members in the Narendra Modi cabinet soon. It has been two years since NDA came back to power in 2019.

Several positions in the Cabinet are vacant due to the exit of Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal and the demise of Ramvilas Paswan of Jan Lokshakti Party.

There are speculations of several senior leaders like former Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia to be accommodated. Recently, Uttarakhand former CM Trivendra Singh Rawat met the PM as well. It is also understood that important NDA ally Janta DalUnited is also expected to be provided a berth in the cabinet.

With UP elections in the offing, Apna Dal, too, is likely to get accommodated. Apna Dal leader Anupriya recently met Shah at his residence.

It is also learnt that PM Modi may also rejig the portfolios of several of his ministers. At present, several ministers have been burdened with multiple portfolios, this may change and some of these may be allocated to the newly inducted ministers, sources added. The muchawaited cabinet reshuffle would be the first such rejig of the Modi cabinet after it was voted back to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Party sources earlier stated that leaders from several key states like Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are also expected to be accommodated in the expansion.