Cabinet rejig likely on June 24

Detractors of Congress General Secretary Ambika Soni seem to have stepped up pressure to get her removed from the party post through the convenient route of pushing her into the government.

The Cabinet reshuffle, which had been postponed for the return of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi from her Russia visit, is scheduled for June 24.

According to Rashtrapati Bhavan sources, President APJ Abdul Kalam will be in town on that date, fuelling speculation.

According to Congress sour-ces, Soni is being tipped as the next information and broadcasting minister. Soni is, however, reluctant to leave the party post, since it ensures her greater access to the party chief.

Others expected to find a place in the Cabinet, albeit less reluctantly, are former Kerala Chief Minister AK Antony, Tamil Nadu Congress unit chief GK Vasan and Mumbai Congress chief Gurudas Kamath.

The reshuffle is likely to be Congress-centric, although former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren is also expected to be accommodated in the ministry. Soren's favourite coal ministry is, at present, being headed by the Telengana Rashtra Samity chief Chandrashekhara Rao.

According to sources, it is unlikely that the top three portfolios of defence, home and finance are going see to any change, despite clamour from certain quarters of the Congress.

The reshuffle was earlier slated for June 9, but it was postponed because of the absence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had gone to Siachen, and of the Congress chief.