NEW DELHI: The last cabinet reshuffle under Modi government 2.0 before the general elections in 2024 is expected to take place soon and might be a large one, with priority given to leaders of states that would hold polls, source said.
Nine states and the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to hold elections in 2023. The BJP is gearing up for a high-stakes fight in Karnataka and Telangana, and elections are also expected to be competitive in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.
Top BJP leadership is mulling a change in Madhya Pradesh but there is no confirmation as yet on the same, but in the reshuffle, new faces from Karnataka, Telangana Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan could enter the Union Council of Ministers.
Downsizing may occur in states like West Bengal and Bihar, yet certain effective ministers may be kept. A full-time minister for Cooperatives is also on the anvil.
According to sources, many ministers with multiple portfolios may divest of some in order to make room for the newcomers. Mansukh Mandaviya, Anurag Thakur, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ashwani Vaishnaw, Smriti Irani, and Nirmala Sitharaman are just a handful of the ministers who now handle many portfolios. As per reports, a member of the minority community from Jammu and Kashmir may be added to the Union cabinet.
Given the impending elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to maintain its current organisational structure. Rhe BJP has agreed that national President J.P. Nadda will get an extension and the state Presidents will not be changed unless there is a demand for a replacement" in light of the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. And there won't be any change in the organisation until it is more required.
After the national office-bearers meeting on January 16, a formal announcement in this regard will be made. Nadda's three-year term as the party's president expires later this month.
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