The much-awaited cabinet reshuffle of prime minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet is expected to take place in the evening of Saturday.
With the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the upcoming cabinet reshuffle is being viewed as PM Modi’s last one in this tenure.
The cabinet reshuffle has been necessitated because of five factors – vacancy in key ministries, mid-term appraisal of the performance of the ministers, forthcoming Assembly elections, gubernatorial assignments and realignment of NDA.
The Shillong Times has reported that NPP chief Conrad Sangma and Nagaland People’s Front leader Neiphiu Rio might get ministerial berths in the Cabinet reshuffle this week.
Many union ministers are going back to the states to take up responsibility in view of upcoming assembly elections. Skill Development minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy has been sent back to Bihar as Dy Chief Minister.
This may be the best time and the last chance for Neiphiu Rio to be inducted in Modi’s cabinet.