Major Cabinet reshuffle on the cards

Talk of changes in the Union Cabinet as also in the All India Congress Committee Secretariat have gained ground amid indications that the reshuffle could take place sooner than later.

With the exit of two Telangana Rashtra Samiti ministers and Natwar Singh, who was indicted by the Pathak Inquiry Authority, there are at least three vacancies in the Cabinet and speculation is centred around who would be the new external affairs minister.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who holds the key portfolio, had indicated while returning from St Petersburg last month, there could be a full time foreign minister soon.

The names of senior ministers Kapil Sibal and P Chidambaram as also senior Congress leader Karan Singh and Maharashtra governor S M Krishna are doing the rounds to head the external affairs ministry.

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also the leader in the Lok Sabha, could also be shifted to External Affairs.

The prime minister had also indicated that a new external affairs minister could be in place before he visits Cuba next month for the Non-Aligned Summit.

With TRS leaving the government and United Progressive Alliance, the prime minister would have to fill the slots of labour minister and minister of state for rural development following the resignation of K Chandrashekhar Rao and his party colleague A Narendra respectively.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal could also nominate one minister of state in view of the resignation of Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav.

Senior leader Oscar Fernandes, who is currently minister without portfolio, could be brought full time to the organisation amid reports that the known loyalist of the party chief could get a key assignment.

There are already vacancies in the party in the wake of induction of Ambika Soni in the Union Cabinet. Soni is in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

While there have been demands from all sections of the party to give Rahul Gandhi a responsible position in the organisation, it is unclear what party chief Sonia Gandhi has in mind for the young leader.