New Delhi: Amid speculation that a reshuffle in the Union cabinet is imminent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.
PM Modi attended the second civil investiture ceremony of Padma awardees at Rashtrapati Bhavan, with President Murmu honouring 65 awardees.
Union minister George Kurian’s resignation on Mon
day, following the expiry of his Rajya Sabha term, set off buzz that the cabinet may soon see a rejig.
The BJP did not renominate Kurian — who was Union Minister of state for Minority Affairs as well as for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying — for the Rajya Sabha elections held on June 18.
Ravneet Singh Bittu, another Union minister, was also not renominated for the recent Rajya Sabha poll, but he has not yet tendered his resignation. The law has it that he can remain a minister without being an MP for six months after the expiry of his term, but then he will have to be re-nominated.
Bittu has expressed his intent to get into state politics. “Now, I want to serve Punjab and will be contesting the Vidhan Sabha elections to be held early next year,” Bittu told reporters, implying that he won’t remain a Union minister.
All eyes will be on the Union cabinet which is scheduled to meet at 11 am on June 24.
If a reshuffle is, indeed, on the agenda, there could be an indicator on Wednesday.