As PM meets Sonia, talk of reshuffle does rounds again

Sources said that an AICC functionary had even called up Soren, asking him to come to Delhi for talks, while holding out the promise of a Cabinet berth. Soren, meanwhile, has made it clear that he won’t settle for anything other than his old Ministry of Coal.

The PM, apparently, is looking at a small exercise to fill the vacancies: Sports, NRI Affairs and Coal. He may not want to upset the delicate balance in the Cabinet at this stage.

Then again, one of the reasons why the reshuffle has been deferred so many times since May is a difference in opinion on the magnitude of the exercise. Sonia has reportedly favoured a major reshuffle while the PM wants to appoint and shift some MOSs.

Sonia is believed to have conveyed to the PM that he should do what he felt was best. Many in the party, however, feel that except in the case of Soren, a reshuffle must be an exercise to shed deadwood and inject dynamism into the government. These leaders are pushing for a reshuffle by the year-end.

According to sources, a couple of ministers may move to the party to assist the Congress president, including Oscar Fernandes, Minister for Programme Implementation, and even Power Minister P M Sayeed—there is no Muslim general secretary after Salman Khursheed moved to UP as PCC chief.

Another decision that is awaited is what would happen in Srinagar on November 2: will Mufti Mohammed Sayeed continue as CM or will it be Ghulam Nabi Azad, as per the agreement worked out three years ago? If Azad goes, that leaves another portfolio vacant: Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development.

Azad called on Sonia this morning . In this context, significance is being attached to what the PM said in Chandigarh over the weekend—words to the effect that Kashmir would have a great future under Mufti’s leadership.

In the Congress, there are at least 25 aspirants for various ministries, say sources. They include G K Vasan, Rajya Sabha MP and TNCC chief, Anand Sharma, Subbirami Reddy, Janardhan Dwivedy, Ashwini Kumar, R K Dhawan and Motilal Vora.

Then again, whether Ambika Soni moves to the government is decision left to Sonia. There are also chances of those holding dual charge—Mani Shankar Aiyar and Kamal Nath—being divested of one ministry.