Prime Minister Narendra Modi will expand his Cabinet on Tuesday with an eye on the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh next year, while also underlining that performance is a critical consideration for promotion and induction. After weeks of speculation about a Cabinet reshuffle, Frank Noronha, Director-General (Press Information Bureau), confirmed the expansion on his Twitter account. “Cabinet expansion tomorrow at 11 am,” he tweeted.
Around the same time, a stream of MPs met BJP President Amit Shah, a development perceived to be indicative of their induction in the Union Cabinet. Among those who met Shah were Apna Dal leader and Mirzapur MP Anupriya Patel, Gujarat MPs Purushottam Rupala and Mansukhbhai Mandavia, Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia, Rajasthan leaders Arjun Ram Meghwal and PP Chowdhary, and Delhi leader Vijay Goel.
UP to the foreThe biggest contingent of MPs to be inducted is from Uttar Pradesh. Anupriya Patel represents the non-Yadav OBCs, whom the BJP is trying to wean away from the Samajwadi Party. There is Krishna Raj, MP from the reserved constituency of Shahjahanpur, who qualified because of his Dalit background — the BJP is targeting Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati’s base in the State.
Reports of Chandauli MP Mahendranath Pandey, a Brahmin, being inducted put a question mark over the continuance of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Kalraj Mishra in the Union Cabinet. Mishra has just celebrated his 75th birthday, which also happens to be the cut-off age for any member of the BJP to be part of the new-age Cabinet under Modi. Another minister who may be eased out because of the age criteria is Najma Heptullah.
There were reports of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley getting an additional portfolio while Law Minister Sadanand Gowda is believed to be in the line of fire. There were also reports of Minister of State (Finance) Jayant Sinha getting a “bigger role” in charge of another key economic ministry.
Among the allies, apart from Patel of the Apna Dal, Dalit leader Ramdas Athawale of the Republican Party of India was reportedly set for induction in the Cabinet. The BJP’s oldest ally, Shiv Sena, was openly critical of the treatment meted out to them.
Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai was due to be inducted but was recalled at the last minute because the Sena was apparently upset at being offered only a Minister of State place and not a Cabinet berth. Sena president Uddhav Thackeray asserted that the BJP central leadership had not held any discussion with him and that his party would not stand at anybody’s door seeking favours.
Thackeray said: “First they were offering us Minister of State, then said we will get a Cabinet berth. We say whatever we get, we should get with respect. We will not beg.”
There was also a strong possibility of an MP from the North East, possibly Raman Deka, taking the place of Sarbananda Sonowal, who has become Assam Chief Minister.