CHNADIGARH – Talk of a possible Cabinet reshuffle following Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s meeting with CM Capt Amarinder Singh on the Punjab Pradesh Congress crisis has had several ministers worried.
There are 18 Cabinet berths in all. The slot vacated by Amristar MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu is still vacant. A Cabinet rejig could see a Dalit or OBC face being inducted and a minister from Malwa or Majha being dropped.
The reshuffle is expected only after the party high command spells out Sidhu’s role in the party or the government. “At all depends on whether Sidhu is made PPCC president or chairman of the poll campaign committee. In each case, a different strategy will have to be devised. If an OBC leader is appointed PPCC chief, then Dalit and Hindu leaders could be appointed working presidents,” observed a senior Congress leader.
Sources said the CM was keen on a prominent Dalit face in his Cabinet but the party high command could seek more changes while giving Sidhu an important role.
Ahead of the high command’s decision on PCC chief and Cabinet reshuffle, the CM met his principal adviser Prashant Kishor who is said to be helping the party in finding a solution to the PCC crisis.
