Assam CM designate Sarbananda Sonowal resigns as union minister, cabinet rejig may follow soon

NEW DELHI | GUWAHATI: President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday accepted the resignation of Sarbananda Sonowal from the Union Council of Ministers, leading to murmurs that the much-talked about Cabinet reshuffle and appointment of BJP’s central office-bearers may happen within the next few days.

Assam chief minister-designate Sonowal’s departure from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was on the expected lines. Minister of State in the PMO, Jitendra Singh, has been given the additional charge of Sonowal’s ministry.

The Union ministers who may have to make way for others are: Minority affairs minister Najma Heptullah (she has crossed the 75-year-age cutoff mark for being a minister); medium, small and micro enterprises minister Kalraj Mishra (he will turn 75 later this year) and social justice and empowerment minister Vijay Sampla (he has been appointed as Punjab BJP chief).

While the portfolio of some ministers might be changed, a few others may be drafted into the party for organisational work. Himanta Biswa Sarma, who did a commendable work for BJP in Assam polls, might either be made deputy CM or given a berth in Modi’s Council of Ministers, sources said, adding Cabinet reshuffle and BJP’s organisational appointments might happen within a few days of each other.

"Ideally, the reshuffle should take place about a month before the monsoon session of Parliament begins in the last week of July, as the new incumbents would need time to get hold of their job before facing Parliament," a Union minister said.

With the BJP Executive scheduled for June 12-13 in Allahabad, party chief Amit Shah would constitute his new team before this deadline, party sources said. The Cabinet reshuffle may happen before it.