PM likely to reshuffle Cabinet after Pawar’s wish

Agencies

New Delhi, 06 July 2010: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could make changes in his Cabinet after Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Monday said he wanted his “burden” to be reduced.

Sources tell CNN-IBN that Singh could reshuffle the Cabinet before the monsoon session of Parliament begins on July 26. Pawar, who was last week elected as president of the International Cricket Council, has said he wanted more time for his party (the Nationalist Congress Party) and ICC.

 

 

Pawar handles the Agriculture, Food and Consumer Affairs portfolios and has been accused of failing to control food inflation and ignoring his ministerial duties for cricket.

Sources tell CNN-IBN Pawar’s consumer affairs and public distribution portfolios could be taken away. The NCP is keen to retain the ministry but the Congress feels that two members from that party in the cabinet (NCP leader Praful Patel is the Civil Aviation Minister) are enough.

Kumari Selja, Congress leader from Haryana, could lose the tourism ministry in the Cabinet reshuffle but would continue to hold the urban poverty alleviation portfolio.

There could be a cabinet rank minister from Uttar Pradesh: the state is important for Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s politics.

Election-bound Bihar too is likely to find representation in the reshuffle. Sources tell CNN-IBN the Prime Minister is likely to reshuffle his council of ministers depending on performance and competence.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari refused to comment on whether a Cabinet reshuffle was on the cards, saying it was the Prime Minister’s prerogative to decide that.