Big buzz over Cabinet reshuffle

Hyderabad: A day after the meeting of top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP chief JP Nadda and national general secretary BL Santhosh, at Prime Minister's residence on Wednesday, the PM convened a crucial meeting of the Union Cabinet in New Delhi on July 3.

This decision comes amid a buzz over impending Cabinet reshuffle and changes in the BJP organisational structure. This meeting assumes high significance for three reasons: One it would be held in the convention centre at Pragati Maidan in Delhi where G-20 summit would be held in September; secondly, contrary to the normal practice, all the Ministers of State have also been invited for the Cabinet meeting. The third reason is that this meeting is scheduled ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, which would begin during the third week of July.

Along with the Cabinet rejig, party’s organisation both at Central and in some states may see some changes as its top brass makes its choices for key positions as the campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls intensifies in the coming months, sources said.

BJP sources said three general secretaries and four secretaries are likely to be inducted into the BJP national organisation as a part of the preparation for the upcoming General Election 2024. The PM has been briefed about the changes in the party in the wake of crucial elections, they said.

It is also being said that four BJP leaders from Uttar Pradesh, one from the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh and two from Rajasthan, where the Assembly elections are due this year and Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay may be inducted into the Cabinet.

The PM may also induct Malayalam superstar Suresh Gopi into the Cabinet.

Sudden air dash of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to New Delhi on Thursday evening, a day ahead of Shinde completing a year in office assumes significance and strengthens the speculation that one or two members from Shinde’s camp may also be taken into the new Cabinet.

The major changes in the state units of Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh are also likely.

After incurring a major defeat in Karnataka, the BJP does not want to take any chance in Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress wants to wrest power from the BJP. In Rajasthan, despite being in advantageous situation, the BJP is facing leadership crisis. In Telangana, where the BJP had initially made big gains to emerge as a key player, the party suffered a setback while the Congress has been pulling out all stops to regain its lost turf and grow as the main challenger to the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi.