Cabinet reshuffle on the cards? PM Modi's meeting with President Murmu fuels speculation
The meeting, which took place soon after the civil investiture ceremony to confer Padma awards, assumes significance as political circles in the national capital are buzzing with the growing possibility of a Union cabinet reshuffle.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on 23 June amid buzz over a reshuffle of the Union cabinet.
The president's office shared pictures of the meeting in a post on X. "Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan," the post said.
The meeting, which took place soon after the civil investiture ceremony to confer Padma awards, assumes significance as political circles in the national capital are buzzing with the growing possibility of a cabinet reshuffle.
George Kurian Resigns
Earlier, veteran BJP leader from Kerala George Kurian resigned from the Union council of ministers following the expiry of his Rajya Sabha term. Kurian, 65, was Union minister of state for minority affairs and also for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying.
President Murmu has accepted Kurian's resignation, a communique issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had decided not to renominate Kurian, whose term ended on June 21, in the recent Rajya Sabha polls.
Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, whose Rajya Sabha term ended on June 21, has also not been renominated by the BJP to the Upper House.
Singh, who has been a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan since August 2024, also holds the charge of Minister of State for the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
Ministers given organisational roles
Of late, a few Union ministers have been given key organisational responsibilities in their home states. Assembly elections are due in key states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab next year. Polls are also due in Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur next year.
The new appointment has also led to speculation of an imminent cabinet reshuffle.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin had on May 28 appointed Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Harsh Malhotra, as the Delhi BJP chief.
Malhotra, 62, is also Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs. He currently holds both portfolios.
Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary was named the new president of the BJP's unit in Uttar Pradesh, where assembly polls are due next year.
The Union cabinet is set to meet at 11 am on 24 June.
Season of ‘defections’
The buzz over the cabinet reshuffle comes amid recent defections by the Raghav Chadha-led group of former Aam Aadmi Party lawmakers and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar's TMC rebel group in the Lok Sabha, and the latest breakaway MPs from Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT).
The defectors from AAP include, besides Chadha, ex-cricketer Harbhajan Singh, former AAP strategist Sandeep Pathak, and business magnates Ashok Mittal, Rajinder Gupta and Vikramjit Sahney — all six from Punjab. Swati Maliwal came from Delhi.
In West Bengal, 20 rebel TMC MPs announced their merger with the obscure Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and declared support for the NDA.
(With PTI inputs)
- The BJP is undergoing significant leadership changes amidst political defections.
- Upcoming state elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are influencing these political shifts.
- The potential for a cabinet reshuffle signals a strategic response to recent defections and electoral pressures.
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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