With the assembly elections in UP and Punjab around the corner, the proposed list possibly includes four Dalits.
It's official. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will expand his Council of Ministers on July 5. The reshuffled Cabinet is expected to see atleast nine new faces.
The final date for the reshuffle comes after months of speculation because of a few vacancies. Among the new faces that may be inducted, three are from poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, including Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal, an ally of the BJP; party MPs Krishna Raj from Shahajahanpur, and Mahendra Pandey from Chandauli, sources said.
BJP MP Ajay Tamta from Almora in Uttarakhand, another state which is heading for elections in 2017, could also be included in the council of ministers.
Senior BJP leader SS Ahluwalia, a Sikh who represents Darjeeling in Lok Sabha, and the party's chief whip and MP from Rajasthan Arjun Meghwal, are also among those who may find a place on Modi's team. Rajasthan MP P P Chaudhury may find himself on the list.
Other names include, Purushottam Rupala, a senior leader from Gujarat who was recently elected to Rajya Sabha in a by-poll, and Ramdas Athawale, an ally from Maharashtra.
The proposed list includes four Dalits, especially as the assembly elections in UP and Punjab are just around the corner.
According to sources, BJP President Amit Shah had called these MPs past midnight on Sunday and asked them to reach New Delhi on Monday.
However, changes in the top portfolios are unlikely. This includes, home, finance, external affairs and defence portfolios.
Rashtrapati Bhavan, according to sources, has been informed, and is preparing for the exercise on Tuesday. Modi will leave for his four-nation Africa tour on July 6.
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