Union Cabinet reshuffle likely to take place tomorrow evening: Report

Amid the expansion buzz, earlier during the day, Union minister Thaawarchand Gehlot was appointed as Governor of Karnataka

The long-awaited and much-talked about Union Cabinet expansion is likely to take place tomorrow evening, news agency ANI reported. However, there is no confirmation from the BJP or the government about the time of possible reshuffle.

Amid the Buzz, BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia cut short his tour of the Malwa-Nimar region in Madhya Pradesh and took off for Delhi from the Indore airport after taking darshan of the famous Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain.

Other party leaders Sarbananda Sonowal, and Narayan Rane, all of whom are being seen as probables for induction as ministers in the Modi government too, arrived in the national capital.

In another indication that expansion might happen anytime soon, earlier during the day, Union minister Thaawarchand Gehlot was appointed as Governor of Karnataka as the government also named three other senior BJP leaders for gubernatorial posts in Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh.

Modi's review of the works of his ministers, early next year assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab and the COVID-19 pandemic that has been a factor in the internal evaluation of the party's governance and organisational works are likely to weigh heavy in the expected reshuffle.

Since last month there have been speculations about possible union cabinet reshuffle and the Prime Minister held several rounds of discussion with senior party leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party chief Nadda and general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh. He (Modi) personally reviewed the performance of existing ministers.

Few ministers are likley to be dropped and they might be accommodated in some other positions.

Names of Bhupender Yadav, Anil Baluni, Sudhanshu Trivedi are doing the rounds while BJP MPs Sushil Modi, Ashwini Vaishnav and G V L Narasimha Rao are also being mentioned as probables.