PM Mammohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi likely to reshuffle council of ministers before July 2

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday held another round of consultations on the reshuffle of the council of ministers. This was the second meeting between the two leaders in the past one week on the issue.In the event of Singh and Sonia Gandhi wrapping up their discussions on the Cabinet rejig soon, the exercise could take place before July 2. President is leaving for her annual week-long stay at the Hyderabad's Prashanth Nilayam on July 2.
Sources in the Congress said the forthcoming exercise could be an elaborate one as there have been criticism that the leadership failed to inject any new energy in the last ministerial rejig. Singh himself had promised a "more expansive exercise" after the budget session of Parliament.
There have been calls for getting rid of non-performing ministers and for promoting younger leaders. On its part, the party leadership will like the prime minister to keep in mind the requirements of the organisation, particularly the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
Sources said the task is not going to be easy for the prime minister as he will have to take a call on whether to make changes in the top rung. Although it was being speculated that SM Krishna could lose the external affairs portfolio, many in the party feel that larger play that the PMO enjoys in the department could prompt the prime minister to retain him. "Only a change in the top posts can result in a drastic overhaul of the Cabinet. But that can happen only if someone like Krishna gets displaced," said a senior leader.
The party's political calculations for UP could see prominent leaders belonging to the minority and Dalit communities getting coveted posts. Sources did not rule out leaders like Salman Khurshid being given charge of a more weighty department.
The Congress, it appears, is reconciled to the Trinamool Congress heading the railway ministry. Although the Congress was keen to take charge of the department, Mamata Banerjee has said that her nominee will control the department. This could mean Mukul Roy getting elevated in the coming reshuffle.
The telecom department held by the DMK before Raja's resignation will stay with the Congress. The Congress will wait for the developments on Dayanidhi Maran to take a decision on his continuance. There is acknowledgement that the government cannot act against the minister as the investigating agency has not even quizzed him over his involvement in the telecom scandal.
Other allies of the Congress, such as the NCP and the IUML, are asking for bigger and better representation in the government. The IUML has been lobbying for the independent charge of a ministry for its nominee E Ahamed.