Arun Jaitley may shed defence ministry soon

NEW DELHI: The additional charge of Defence Ministry given to Arun Jaitley has raised speculation that there could be induction of a BJP heavyweight in the Ministry shortly.

Jaitley, who who has been appointed Finance Minister, said as much when he met reporters while assuming the additional charge in Defence Ministry.

"The Ministry is only an additional charge with me till alternative arrangements are made after a full expansion of council of Ministers... This is a very important ministry and hopefully it should get a ministerial head over the next couple of weeks to look after the ministry full time," he said.

His statement has fuelled speculation that the seat in the Defence Ministry is being kept warm for a BJP heavyweight.

Though there was no official word, the names of veteran leader Murli Manohar Joshi and Arun Shourie are doing the rounds as a possible candidate for defence portfolio.

BJP patriarch LK Advani and Joshi did not find any place in the council of ministers that Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose yesterday.