External affairs ministry may go to Patil

The next foreign minister of India will be from among the existing Congress members of Parliament. In all likelihood, Home Minister Shivraj Patil will be shifted to the external affairs ministry.

Top sources in the government say that nobody from outside the present crop of MPs of the Congress can be brought into the Cabinet since there is likely to be no Congress induction into the Rajya Sabha for the next six months.

"Which is why, someone from within the present crop of MPs will be brought in. Karan Singh may appear to be an obvious choice, but he is interested in Rashtrapati Bhavan, which is why Patil, who has been criticised over his handling of the home ministry, may be made foreign minister," said a top source in the government.

Patil's shift appears to be imminent considering the mismanagement of Sonia Gandhi's visit to Malegaon and the lack of any leads, nearly two months after the Mumbai blasts.

The home ministry is likely to be handed over either to defence minister Pranab Mukherjee or more likely still, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.

"Shinde is a popular choice with 10 Janpath while Mukherjee may not be preferred since he is already bogged down with a lot of firefighting for the government," said the source.

Tourism minister Ambika Soni has apparently earned the goodwill of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by her work and will probably be rewarded in the reshuffle.

"Soni is likely to be promoted to the more visible portfolio of information and broadcasting, while Priya Ranjan Das Munsi will retain the parliamentary affairs and will be handed the power portfolio," said the source.

For the recently vacated portfolio of labour minister, economist and head of the national commission for unorganised enterprises, Arjun Sengupta, is a front runner because of his equations with the Left. Considering that labour reforms are the main thing on the agenda of the ministry, Sengupta just might get the job.

This news would be disappointing for Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna who is waiting to get back to active politics and has made no bones about his eagerness.