Amid speculations that he may be given a Cabinet berth at the Centre, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is likely to meet the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs here on Friday to take a decision over the next state chief.
According to sources, 58-year-old Parrikar may be given the Defence portfolio.
Parrikar held discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah in the national capital yesterday, leading to speculation that he may be given a Cabinet berth.
The Goa Chief Minister, however, denied any such talks yesterday.
"He has not said anything about that. I discussed with him issues concerning my state Goa," Parrikar told the media after his meeting with the Prime Minister.
Among others, BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is expected to be allotted a Cabinet berth.
BJP veteran Yashwant Sinha's son Jayant too is in the race for the Cabinet berth, with reports suggesting that the Harvard MBA is being considered as a Minister of State (MoS) for Defence or Finance. Other key people who are expected to be promoted are MoS Nirmala Sitharaman and Haryana leader Birender Singh.