Poll-bound states to get more ministers in possible rejig

Poll-bound states and accommodating certain leaders will be focus of the reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to undertake soon. Modi has met senior Cabinet ministers in the past few days to evaluate the performance of various ministries. Home minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda have also met Union ministers, BJP office-bearers, NDA leaders and leaders from states.

Performance of ministers and accommodating unrepresented or underrepresented communities from poll-bound UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Gujarat will be factors influencing the reshuffle. With Chirag Paswan losing the support of his MPs, his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras could replace the late Ram Vilas Paswan.

JDU which has 16 Lok Sabha MPs has been demanding four berths and is ready to count Paras as one of its representatives. BJP, with 17 MPs from Bihar, has two Cabinet ministers, one minister of state with independent charge and two ministers of state. LJP is likely to get one berth and JDU two. Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel is expected to get a berth. Apart from Kurmis, the Nishad and Rajbhar communities are also on BJP’s radar but they may be inducted in Yogi Adityanath’s UP team.


It is not clear if former Bihar deputy CM Sushil Modi will become a minister or head a key parliamentary committee. Some leaders from West Bengal may be inducted too.