Amid cabinet reshuffle talks, PM calls meet on June 30

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 24

Amid talks of an impending Cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a meeting of the Council of Ministers on June 30.

JD-U also among frontrunners

• PM has not reshuffled the Cabinet since BJP returned to power in May 2019
• JD-U also expects a fair share in the pie, especially after the SAD left the NDA.

Sources said the meeting was not a routine, considering the Cabinet reshuffle had long been expected. The PM has not reshuffled the Cabinet since the BJP returned to power in May 2019.

The sources said items listed on the agenda included Covid management and status and update on infrastructure projects related to roads, telecom and civil aviation.

The last time the Council of Ministers met was in April at the height of the second wave of the pandemic. Over the last one month, the PM has been reviewing the performance of ministers along with their ministers of state and flagging gaps in their respective departments.

BJP president JP Nadda and national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh were present in these meetings. The expansion of Cabinet is anticipated with some ministers overburdened and many leaders, including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sushil Modi, Sarbananda Sonowal and Jitin Prasada, waiting to be accommodated. The JD-U is also expecting a fair share in the pie after the SAD left the NDA.