Rahul Gandhi meets prime minister in the midst of Cabinet rejig buzz

Amid the buzz of an imminent Cabinet reshuffle, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the latter’s 7, Race Course Road residence on Wednesday. This has again ignited speculation on whether Gandhi would be joining the Cabinet. It is a known fact that the PM is keen on Gandhi joining the Cabinet and has often publicly said so. Gandhi’s meeting comes within 24 hours of Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the PM meeting President Pranab Mukherjee.

Sources confirmed Gandhi had nearly an hour-long meeting with the prime minister on Wednesday. However, it was unclear whether Rahul Gandhi himself will be joining the Cabinet or was being consulted on younger faces and ‘Gen Next’ MPs to be included in the Cabinet.

While the PM was eager to have a new-look Cabinet, sources indicate young MPs close to Rahul Gandhi — like Meenakshi Natarajan, who is very active in Youth Congress affairs — could get a ministerial berth.

In July, Rahul Gandhi himself had said he was willing to play a “bigger role”, but whether in the government by taking a Cabinet portfolio or in the party was not clear.

Party sources said he was already playing a bigger role in the party organisation and his joining the Cabinet was unlikely.

The inauspicious period according to the Hindu almanac, 'pitrpaksh', having concluded, the timing is just right, for something as crucial as the Cabinet reshuffle.

Several berths have been left vacant after the Trinamool Congress’ exit from the United Progressive Alliance.

Meanwhile, coalition partner DMK, whose two ministers had quit some time earlier, is likely to get at least two new portfolios. But party supremo Karunanidhi had made it clear that the DMK was not interested in taking up any portfolio. Sources said the DMK would settle for nothing less than the railways ministry but as the Congress had decided to keep this for itself, DMK did not want any other portfolio.

The railways ministry is now being held as additional charge by C P Joshi, minister of road transport and highways.

This could be reallocated, as is the case with the power ministry, being held as additional charge by Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily.