Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to reshuffle his council of ministers between July 10 and 12. Sources in Rashtrapati Bhavan said that the prime minster has conveyed his intent of reshuffle to the president Pratibha Patil.
Major changes are in the pipeline in a few economic ministries like Power, Coal and infrastructure. Three cabinet ministers are going to be dropped for various reasons: Corporate Affairs Minister Murali Deora, Tribal Affairs Minister Kantilal Bhuria and Micro, Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Minister Veerabhadra Singh.
Besides, Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, who has resigned from cabinet following his alleged involvement in 2G spectrum scam, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is likely to be shifted from Power while Vayalar Ravi, who is currently holding two ministries (NRI Affairs and Civil Aviation), would be divested of Civil Aviation, sources said.
The real surprise is with regard to the Railways ministry portfolio vacated by Mamata Bannerjee. It now transpires that the mercurial Mamata Di has shifted her blessings from Mukul Roy to Minister of State for Health Dinesh Bhai Trivedi who would be full cabinet minister of Railways, sources said.
In view of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in April 2012, the Congress is likely to bolster its representation from UP by inducting film star Raj Babbar into the union cabinet. In Andhra Pradesh, currently being convulsed by Telangana agitation, would not be touched in the upcoming reshuffle for obvious reasons as the government would not like to stoke a new controversy.