Resignation trailer for Modi reshuffle thriller

A slew of Union ministers resigned late Thursday evening, all but cementing rumours of an impending reshuffle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s council of ministers that sources said could happen as early as today, or by Saturday; the PM leaves for a BRICS summit in China on Sunday.

Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti, and Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Commerce, Industry and Corporate Affairs. and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister with independent charge of State Skill Development and Entrepreneurship stepped down from their positions.

Dharmendra Debendra Pradhan, minister of state for petroleum & natural gas, and Piyush Goel, MoS for power, coal, and new & renewable energy are likely to be elevated to cabinet rank.

Some more ministers are also said to have offered to resign, including Minister of Micro and Small Enterprises Kalraj Mishra, Minister of State for Human Resource Development Mahendra Nath Pandey, and Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjiv Baliyan. Mishra has crossed the age of 75 and is tipped to get a gubernatorial posting.

Shah, who has already had several meetings over the past two weeks with several cabinet ministers, held an unscheduled meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi just before Rudy’s resignation.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley suggested as much …read more