PM in a bind over reshuffle

The impending reshuffle of the Cabinet has run into rough weather, even as hectic parlays continue within the Congress and the government.

According to top party sources, the main bottleneck in this exercise has been defining the scope of the reshuffle.

"While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is keen on changing portfolios of some ministers from the allied parties, the Congress feels it may not be a wise political move," said a top Congress office-bearer.

According to reports, the Prime Minister wants to shift Surface Transport Minister TR Baalu from his present ministry.

DMK's Baalu is in trouble with his party chief M Karunanidhi in any case, since he has been seen making conciliatory gestures towards Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The matter of a reshuffle has also come to a halt over the fate of some senior Cabinet ministers considered close to 10, Janpath. While the Prime Minister wants to change portfolios of some of them, too, the party is not in favour of that.

Despite hiccups, the Prime Minister was set to go ahead with the reshuffle on June 24, sources said.

If the Cabinet reshuffle is creating ripples, then so is the internal reshuffle in the Congress.

The young MPs brigade are lobbying for a secretaryship for Jatin Prasada, who is now secretary in the Youth Congress and MP from Uttar Pradesh.

Sources indicate that the Cabinet reshuffle may be held after June 25. "Although, if matters are resolved, then it might be on its original date of June 24," they say.