Sonia-Manmohan meeting fuels reshuffle speculations

Ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, fueling afresh speculations over an imminent reshuffle in the Union Council of Ministers.

The meeting between the two Congress leaders comes at a time when the UPA partners are reportedly lobbying for prime portfolios, scheduled for to be reshuffled or separated from those who are holding additional posts.

Accompanied by her political secretary Ahmed Patel, Gandhi met Singh at his residence.

The PM had also called on the President, Pratibha Patil, on Monday, and sources said the 45-minute meeting was a routine affair.

But sources inside the UPA government said these are prelude to a possible reshuffle in the central ministry.

Some of the key portfolio holders in the cabinet, including Sharad Pawar and Kapil Sibal, are having a tough time in tackling situations like the soaring price rise of food articles and the raging telecom scam controversy.

Three union ministers–A Raja, Prithviraj Chavan and Shashi Tharoor had to quit following countrywide controversies.

The Trinamool Congress, second largest partner of the UPA, wants another berth in the cabinet and the DMK its telecom minister in place of A Raja.