Ghulam Nabi Azad is likely to be moved from Health to Petroleum Ministry in place of S Jaipal Reddy who is tipped to be shifted to Human Resources Development Ministry.
Kapil Sibal is expected to shed HRD portfolio and retain Telecom Ministry.
The reshuffle could see a number of Ministers of State getting elevated. NTR's daughter D Purandeswari, who has been Minister of State in HRD for the last eight years, could be upgraded and given the Commerce portfolio held by Anand Sharma.
59-year-old Sharma, who is tipped to move from Commerce to take the place of Krishna at the External Affairs Ministry, has done a stint in the MEA as MoS in UPA one.
MoS Agriculture Harish Rawat, who lost in the race for Chief Ministership in Uttarakhand and had revolted, is likely to be elevated as a cabinet minister in charge of Health.
Among the new entrants are actor-turned politician Chiranjeevi (Andhra Pradesh), Manish Tewari (Punjab), A H Khan Chowdhry, brother of late A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhry, Pradeep Bhattacharya and Deepa Dasmunsi (West Bengal), Tariq Anwar (Maharashtra), Pradeep Balmuchu (Jharkhand), K Rahman Khan (Karnataka) and Pradeep Majhi (Odisha).
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Besides Purandeswari and Ajay Maken, who could also be promoted as a Cabinet minister, Ministers of State who could be upgraded are Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Milind Deora.
Ahead of the reshuffle, three Cabinet Ministers Ambika Soni (I&B), Mukul Wasnik (Social Justice) and Subodh Kant Sahai (Tourism) resigned today along with three Ministers of State Agatha Sangma (Rural Development), Mahadev Khandela (Tribal Affairs) and Vincent Pala (Water Resources). (More)