Rejig of Modi Cabinet appears to be on cards

New Delhi: Despite denials from BJP sources, speculations of a major reshuffle in the NDA government led by BJP soon continues to be high. According to grapevine, while the TBJP president Bandi Sanjay’s name is making rounds, from Kerala, Malayalam superstar Suresh Gopi is also likely to find a berth in the rejig of the central cabinet.

It may be mentioned here that the BJP national president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on Wednesday which had once again fuelled the speculations of the impending reshuffle of the union cabinet. Even BJP sources say that there is a discussion going on within the party about the possibility of a rejig of the cabinet though there has been no official communication or indication from any of the top leadership.

The party sources say that the possibility of some ministers being drafted for party work ahead of the Lok Sabha polls cannot be ruled out. While the party itself is still unclear about the stand of the BJP in Telangana towards BRS, the saffron party has taken Kerala seriously and wants to try to re-enter south via Kerala as it lost a chance from Karnataka.

In all likelihood, Gopi will contest from Thrissur again, for a second straight time, after coming a third in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and in the same position from the Thrissur seat at the 2021 Assembly polls.

Gopi, who recently turned 65, is maintaining a stoic silence on questions of his political future.

Gopi became an instant fan of Modi, when he was asked to join the swearing-in of Modi as Prime Minister in 2014 and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

As far as Telangana is concerned, the acts of the central leadership had pushed the state unit into confusion. Its aggressive surge has been halted. Though PM Modi made a scathing attack on KCR and family, the state unit is still not sure whether the centre was really serious to take on BRS or not. The July 12 public meeting of Modi at Warangal may give some direction to the rank and file, state leaders feel.