Cabinet reshuffle on the cards

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Congress supremo and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to discuss a reshuffle in Union Cabineton Saturday.

Sonia drove to the Prime Minister's official residence accompanied by her political secretary Ahmad Patel for the meeting.

There are about half a dozen vacancies in the Manmohan Singh ministry arising from the resignation of K Natwar Singh, deaths of PM Sayeed and Sunil Dutt, shifting of Ghulam Nabi Azad as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and K Rahman Khan becoming Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha.

Another vacancy was created by the resignation of Jagdish Tytler in the wake of the Nanavati Commission's report on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

With US president George Bush scheduled to visit India, the focus of attention will be vacancy in the External Affairs ministry, which fell vacant after the exit K Natwar Singh.

He had to resign after his name surfaced in the Voclker report that probed the Oil-for-food scam in Iraq.

With Parliament session being advanced to February 16 and President APJ Abdul Kalam leaving on a three-nation 10-day foreign tour on January 31, Sunday is the likely day for carrying out the Cabinet expansion and reshuffle exercise.

As the President returns from Seoul on February 9, new ministers would hardly have time to prepare themselves for the three-month budget session if the expansion is undertaken then.

The sources indicated that the exercise could be mainly to fill existing vacancies.

Prime Minister's earlier attempts to reshuffle and expand his ministry had to be put off for a variety of reasons, leaving ministerial hopefuls waiting in the wings.

The Prime Minister had himself said there was a need for expansion of the ministry and indicated recently that he would apply his mind on the matter after the winter session of Parliament.

With several states going for polls, a couple of Governors may also be shifted.

(With inputs from PTI)