Cabinet reshuffle buzz begins

The PM will need to find a replacement for Sarbananda Sonowal at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs. Sonowal is likely to be sworn in as the Assam chief minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi might shuffle some of those in his council of ministers.

Seniors in the ruling party and government say it is unlikely to be anything more than filling of vacancies. However, there is also a view that the PM could use the opportunity to prepare for the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign for the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab Assembly polls in early 2017.

The PM will need to find a replacement for Sarbananda Sonowal at the ministry of youth and sports. Sonowal is likely to be sworn in as the Assam chief minister early next week. Another vacancy has arisen after minister of state for social justice Vijay Kumar Sampla was appointed Punjab BJP chief. He is a Dalit leader (the comunity is nearly a third of Punjab's population) and his going there is to do with the coming Assembly polls.

Some in the party believe former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has recently become a Rajya Sabha member, could fill the vacancy left by Sonowal. Sidhu is spoken in some quarters as the BJP’s face for the Punjab elections if the party were to break its alliance with the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal there, to blunt the 10-year anti-incumbency mood against the government. Apart from the recent popularity there of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Other appointments could be made with an eye on the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. There is talk of Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh striking a seat adjustment with the BJP. The latter has, however, insisted till now that the Jat leader merge his party into the BJP.

There could also be some more faces from UP inducted, at the expense of some of the BJP’s ministers from Bihar. A couple of them, perceived to have been low performers, might be sent back to their home state to work for the party. There is also a view that some of the more talented MPs should be included in the council of ministers, while divesting at least one charge from those handling more than one ministerial portfolio. Apart from UP and Punjab, early 2017 will also see elections to the Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa assemblies.

JOB AT HAND

• The PM will need to find a replacement for Sarbananda Sonowal at the ministry of youth affairs and sports
   
• Sonowal is likely to be sworn in as the Assam chief minister early next week
   
• Another vacancy has arisen after minister of state for social justice Vijay Kumar Sampla was appointed Punjab BJP chief
   
• He is a Dalit leader (the community is nearly a third of Punjab’s population) and his going there is to do with the coming Assembly polls