Kerala Cabinet may be rejigged

The talks on the much-awaited reshuffle of the A K Antony cabinet in Kerala are likely to gain momentum with the one-day visit of Congress President Sonia Gandhi to the state on August 29.

Though Gandhi's only scheduled programme in the state is the inauguration of the 'guruvarsham' celebrations at kollam, being organised by the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, she is expected to have an interaction with Congress leaders at the airport here on the cabinet reshuffle.

AICC General Secretary Ahamed Patel will arrive here tomorrow to prepare the ground for the talks Gandhi is going to have with party functionaries, sources said. She is also likely to meet leaders of United Democratic Front partners.

Defence Minister and CWC member Pranab Mukherjee will also reach here on August 30 for further talks. Party sources said the entire exercise was expected to be completed by the first week of next month.

Chief Minister A K Antony himself had already stated that a cabinet reshuffle would be effected "very shortly," though it is not yet clear whether ministers of Front partners would also be changed.

According to schedule, Gandhi will arrive here at 3 pm on Sunday and straightaway proceed to Kollam by helicopter. After the inauguration of 'Guruvarsham' celebration, arranged as part of the 150th birth anniversary of saint-reformer sree narayana guru, she will be back in the capital in the evening.

After interaction with leaders at the airport, she will leave for delhi at 6.15 pm. Leaders of several communities had also sought appointment with Gandhi, sources said.