Several ministers are holding charge of two portfolios - Venkaiah Naidu and his junior Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi hold dual charge of parliamentary affairs as well as urban development and minority affairs respectively; Sarbanand Sonowal has been appointed BJP chief of Assam; Arun Jaitley holds finance and information and broadcasting.
But the question is whether the reshuffle will be a small one or a big one that will encompass the party and the government. Some thought will be given to this in the coming week.
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Test of BJP strength in Gujarat
Preparations have begun to hold a by-election to Gujarat's Choryasi Assembly constituency. The election will be on January 21 and the last date for filing nominations is January 4. Choryasi is interesting for a number of reasons.
The election has been occasioned because of the death of the sitting BJP MLA, Raja, Patel from dengue fever in August. He was a first-time BJP MLA. Choryasi falls in Surat. The BJP won the municipal corporation elections in the city recently and is tipped to win the seat again.
If it does not, this will indicate a new trend: The revival of the Congress in a state that seemed to have sent the party packing over the last 15 years when Gujarat was dominated by Narendra Modi. There has been a reversal in the local body elections recently, where the Congress has scored will in rural areas. Choryasi is the first by-election after the local body elections.
Will Rahul Gandhi be elevated?
The elevation of Rahul Gandhi in the Congress and a reshuffle in the party is also planned for sometime after January 14. Expected for months, this is likely to put the seal on the party's plans for the immediate future.
There is also the question of what is to be done with those elders, who are not fully attuned to the younger Gandhis - it is no coincidence that top Congress leaders have to keep insisting that the older generation in the party will always be given its due. If the party is to keep to schedule and Gandhi's elevation does take place, some indications will be available this week.
Legislative council elections to show trend
Elections to vacancies in the legislative council in three states - Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana - will also be held this week and results will be declared on Wednesday. In Karnataka, the term of 25 members of the Karnataka Legislative Council from local authorities constituencies is due to expire on January 5 on the retirement of the sitting members.
This is an indirect election - that is, representatives of local authorities elect these MLCs. The term of eight members of Maharashtra Legislative Councils from local authorities constituencies is due to expire on Friday on the retirement of the sitting members. Apart from this, 12 seats in the Legislative Council of Telangana from Local Authorities' Constituencies are lying vacant because of a dispute after the bifurcation of the state. The outcome of these will tell us which way the wind is blowing.
West Asian affairs on govt's mind
Preparations will begin this week for an India-Israel engagement and also an India-Palestine engagement. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will visit Israel and Palestine in January to intensify India's engagement with West Asia from January 16 to 19. Before that, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh will go to Israel beginning January 8.
Swaraj's appointment was highly appreciated by Israel for her comments in the past the the Jewish state was a "reliable partner". She had earlier served as chairperson of the Indo-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group from 2006 to 2009 and visited Israel during her tenure.
Radha Mohan Singh will discuss how Israel's project - setting up Centres of Excellence in India to promote cooperation in agriculture - can be taken forward. Drip irrigation, water management and renewable energy are among major areas of focus during the planned visits. The chief of Israel's cyber security venture will also be in India ahead of the visit. Israel has also emerged as the second largest defence equipment supplier to India after Russia.
Swaraj would also be meeting Palestinian leaders to reaffirm India's support for the Palestinian cause.