Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday met President Draupadi Murmu, raising speculation about the long-awaited reshuffle in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet, even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries signaled a possible reorganization in both the government and the party organization.
The meeting came days after Union Minister George Kurian resigned as the BJP chose not to renominate him to the Rajya Sabha. His departure was seen as a sign of a cabinet reshuffle ahead of elections in key states such as Uttar Pradesh scheduled for next year.
Modi met Murmu on the same day Kurian resigned on Tuesday. He officially described the meeting as routine, although it sparked speculation about a cabinet reshuffle ahead of Parliament’s monsoon session.
BJP leaders familiar with internal deliberations said the proposed reorganization is expected to go beyond filling vacant positions. “The party senior leadership may evaluate the ministerial performance, regional representation and evolving political requirements of the party [ruling BJP-led] “National Democratic Alliance (NDA),” said the BJP leader, who requested anonymity.
Ravneet Singh Bittu, another minister whose Rajya Sabha term had expired, was not renominated. Others, such as Pankaj Chaudhary and Harsh Malhotra, have been given organizational responsibilities in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The BJP follows a “one person, one position” policy that separates governmental and organizational roles.
A second BJP leader said electoral considerations were likely to play a major role in any reshuffle. “West Bengal, where the BJP came to power in the Assembly elections in April and May, may be among the states that get greater representation in the Union government. The leadership may also consider the demands of alliance partners as the NDA seeks to maintain cohesion,” he added.
The defection of six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha members to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena increased its tally to 13 in the lower house of Parliament. The Shiv Sena is now the second largest constituent of the NDA after the Telugu Desam Party (16 seats). Janata Dal (United) has 12 seats.
The BJP is considering options to accommodate leaders outside active electoral politics, people familiar with the matter said. Kurian, a veteran leader in Kerala who is considered one of the prominent Christian faces of the party in the south, may obtain the position of governor of the state. The terms of some governors are scheduled to expire in the coming months. Vacancies can provide opportunities for such appointments. This year, former Union Minister Dinesh Trivedi was appointed as India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh.
BJP functionaries said ministerial vacancies, organizational restructuring and upcoming state elections have created conditions for a major reshuffle in the Cabinet.
A reorganization in both the party and the government has also been on the cards since the appointment of new BJP president Nitin Nabin in January. Nabin, 45, the youngest BJP president, is expected to balance experienced leaders with younger faces in his new team.
There has been no expansion or reshuffle since the BJP-led NDA government returned to power for the third consecutive time in June 2024.
The organizational shake-up will be closely watched as the BJP prepares for the next round of elections, including the 2027 Legislative Assembly, Presidential and 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
In 2027, elections are scheduled to be held in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. The party is in power in five of these states and is looking to make significant gains in Punjab, where it is no longer allied with the Shiromani Akali Dal and is preparing to compete with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party.
There is a possibility that the Union Cabinet and the BJP’s national team will include leaders from poll-bound states and the five states where elections concluded in May.
