PM Modi's big Cabinet reshuffle likely today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to announce a massive cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, for the first time since returning to power for the second term. The government aims to bring in fresh faces and also accommodate the BJP's allies.

Ramdas Athawale's RPI is the only ally that is part of the Union government now.

According to reports, the new cabinet will have more women representation and a record representation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.

Special attention will also be given to those with administrative experience, reports stated.

Modi has been holding extensive deliberations with senior party leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah and party chief J.P. Nadda for the past couple of weeks to gauge concerns of five states going to polls next year, and internal bickering in several state units. The reshuffle may signal addressing these concerns.

Among the allies, the Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Apna Dal are expected to find a place in the Union Cabinet. Jyotiraditya Scindia is also a key contender to make an entry into the cabinet. Amid buzz around Union cabinet expansion, the BJP Rajya Sabha MP on Tuesday cut short his tour of the Malwa-Nimar region in Madhya Pradesh and took off for Delhi. Scindia also offered prayers at the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple in Ujjain before arriving in New Delhi. "Scindia, however, remained tight-lipped about speculations that he might be inducted in the Union cabinet during its expansion and said he had no information about the same.

BJP leaders Sarbandanda Sonowal, Narayan Rane are also been seen as probables who could be accommodated into the cabinet.

Fuelling speculations of cabinet reshuffle, the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday announced a slew of gubernatorial appointments, including that of Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawarchand Gehlot as Governor of Karnataka, replacing Vajubhai Vala. Gehlot's appointment as governor has also left a major vacancy in the Modi goverment.

Modi government has also decided to create a new ministry of cooperation with an aim to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country.government sources said the new ministry is being created for realising the vision of ''sahkar se samriddhi' (through cooperation to prosperity). This ministry will provide a separate administrative, legal and policy framework for strengthening the cooperative movement in the country, sources added. A minister in-charge for the new portfolio may also be named.

The Modi government currently has 53 ministers and its strength can go up to 81.