Who will replace Mr Pranab Mukherjee as the Finance Minister? This is the big question now. It is believed that various options are being considered.
One is that the Prime Minister may keep the finance portfolio and bring Dr C. Rangarajan into the Prime Minister's Office as Minister without any portfolio. This would allow Dr Rangarajan to be inducted into the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
He and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, along with the Prime Minister, would then run the Finance Ministry.
Simultaneously, one more Minister of State could be appointed in the Finance Ministry. The new appointee would manage the day-to-day affairs and share the responsibility of answering Parliament questions with the other two Ministers of State in the Ministry.
The second option is to appoint a full-fledged Cabinet Minister. It could be either Mr Jairam Ramesh or Mr Anand Sharma. Mr Chidambaram is also said to be keen on getting back his old portfolio.
The final name will emerge after the Prime Minister returns from his seven-day foreign tour, starting Saturday. A Cabinet reshuffle is also expected before the monsoon session.