New Delhi, 1 September(Wishav Warta): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will revamp his council of ministers+ on Sunday morning, at 10 am. “A process has been set in motion for the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan around 10 am on Sunday,” a top government official said. This will be the third such exercise since the BJP swept to power in the summer of 2014.
Modi had a meeting with BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday evening, to give the final touches to the reshuffle exercise. Sources told TOI that Modi is preparing to induct new faces, including from NDA allies JD (U) and the AIADMK, into his council of ministers.
Already, five ministers have resigned from the council, setting the stage for the reshuffle. While some ministers of states are expected to be elevated, the reshuffle is also aimed at strengthening the party set up ahead of the elections in crucial states as well as the 2019 elections.
In addition, several ministers who have additional portfolios are expected to see their workload being reduced. Finance minister Arun Jaitley, for instance, has been handling the defence ministry too. Similarly, Smriti Irani was recently handed additional charge of the information and broadcasting ministry in addition to textiles.
