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Will PM go in for ministry reshuffle on October 23?

Lending credence to the possibility of such change is a number of factors, including the prime minister’s stated desire to reshuffle the cabinet before the winter session of parliament commences.

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Will it be October 23, or will it be next year? That is the question that those aspiring for a ministerial jobs are asking with bated breath.

“That is the only day on which prime minister Manmohan Singh can reshuffle his ministry as he is leaving for Japan on October 24, and after that there is a busy calendar of events,” pointed out a highly placed functionary in the Congress party, as speculation kicked off about the possible changes in the second United Progressive Alliance, or UPA-2, ministry.

Lending credence to the possibility of such change is a number of factors, including the prime minister’s stated desire to reshuffle the cabinet before the winter session of parliament commences.

Traditionally, a reshuffle should take place before a session begins and is avoided when a session is under way.

Singh had made his intent known in an interaction with editors a few weeks ago.

There are some other political imperatives too. Union agriculture and food minister Sharad Pawar has gone public more than once with his desire to have a lighter portfolio in view of his pre-occupation as chairman of the International Cricket Council and his desire to devote time for strengthening his Nationalist Congress Party. Pawar is reportedly not very keen on facing yet another session of parliament answering questions about the price situation, more so when he has already made up his mind to give up this assignment.

The main hurdle in carrying out a reshuffle is the lack of an internal consensus within the ruling party. Party sources maintain that a final call on the issue was pending as Ahmed Patel, the political adviser to Congress president Sonia   Gandhi, was visiting his home state of Gujarat.

Moreover, with the Shungloo Committee probing the conduct of the Commonwealth Games, all the ministers who were in some way or the other associated with the games are likely to be retained till the end of the enquiry, which may take a couple of months at least.

Singh would be out of the country for a week and will return only in time for the All India Congress Committee meeting on November 2. Then there is Diwali on November 5, followed by Barack Obama’s visit to India, tentatively scheduled for November 6 to 9, and the parliament session from November 9.

All this leaves Singh little time to carry out a reshuffle after his return from tour.

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