| Sources indicate that the reshuffle is more of an exercise to "fill in the blanks" rather than an exercise to restructure the Cabinet. "This means that former coal minister Shibu Soren will be back, and the seats vacated by Sunil Dutt, Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav and Jagdish Tytler are going to be filled," said a senior Congress party office-bearer. |
| An important change, however, is going to be the shifting of the power portfolio from PM Sayeed to Commerce Minister Kamal Nath as an additional charge. |
| "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been very disappointed with Sayeed's performance till date. The PMO has been over-ruling decisions made by the power minister," added the leader. |
| "That's why Sayeed is to be shifted either to a new ministry or be sent as Governor to a state," added the source. |
| The external affairs portfolio, however, is set to remain with the prime minister, who is anxious to make the upcoming visit of US President George Bush a success and also to have control over a changing foreign policy. |
| A suitable Rashtriya Janata Dal candidate is to be chosen to replace Yadav as minister of state for water resources. Yadav had to resign the charge following a non-bailable warrant issued against him in a case in Jamui in Bihar. |
| The probable list of candidates ranges from Saifuddin Soz to Vyalar Ravi and GK Vasan. Till date both the sports and the overseas indians affairs ministries were being taken care of by Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan, who is likely to continue to look after the NRI affairs ministry. |
| "The usual quota for the Union ministry is of 81 ministers including ministers of state and deputy ministers. The present strength is well below that, so expect some new faces and in keeping with the government's character, mostly old ones are to find space on Friday," said the office-bearer. |
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