Cabinet reshuffle: Sadananda Gowda likely to lose railway ministry, Suresh Prabhu to replace him

New Delhi, Nov 8: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to reshuffle his cabinet to bring in fresh talent to ease work pressure on some ministers, reports are also coming that Union Railways Minister Sadananda Gowda will be given another ministry.

It is being said that the Prime Minister is not happy with the former Karnataka chief minister's work and he might be downgraded to a lower ministry.

Speculations in the political corridor are rife that PM Modi has chosen Shiv Sena MP Suresh Prabhu for the important portfolio. Prabhu's elevation is considered certain because recently he was roped in by the prime minister to draft policies on infrastructure and natural resources and was also given an office in South Block, near PMO.

Suresh Prabhu is Lok Sabha MP from Rajapur, Maharashtra and has held an important portfolio of Energy Minister in the Vajpayee government. He is also said to be a visionary leader and has a clean image and it is said that such qualities make him get a place in PM's eyes.

Interestingly, Shiv Sena has not yet suggested the names of two leaders, asked by PMO, to be given cabinet berths. But, the Modi government has already made its mind on giving Prabhu a place in its ministry.

The Shiv Sena first wants the BJP to resolve the deadlock in Maharashtra over sharing of ministry in Devendra Fadnavis' government. The Sena wants key portfolios like deputy CM, finance, home but the BJP isn't ready for the same.

The first expansion and reshuffle of the three-tier ministry will take place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan at 1 pm.

The exercise could also give greater representation to some allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party, including the Shiv Sena, with which relations remain strained in the wake of the Maharashtra elections.

The Sunday event will happen before the start of Parliament's Winter Session on Nov 24.

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, another clean image politician and a visionary leader, is slated to be inducted as the defence minister, and has resigned from his post on Saturday.

New ministers may be taken from Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana besides Haryana and Maharashtra -- two states where the BJP was elected to power for the first time last month.

Among those most likely to be inducted are BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and party general secretary JP Nadda, an old associate of the prime minister.

The sources said BJP MPs Giriraj Singh and Jayant Sinha may also get portfolios. The party may also induct Birender Singh, who joined the BJP before the Haryana polls after quitting the Congress.

The Modi government at present has 22 cabinet members and 22 ministers of state, some holding independent charge.

OneIndia News