Suresh Gopi with PM Narendra Modi. File photoNew Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: As rumors swirl around the capital that prime minister Modi may shuffle his deck of ministers, perhaps as early as Thursday evening, Kerala is watching keenly: will Suresh Gopi, who was recently nominated a Rajya Sabha MP, make the cut?
During the run-up to the May 16 assembly election, top BJP leaders including union ministers had urged the people to give the saffron party a chance and said that Kerala in turn would be rewarded with a ministerial berth. The film actor who had openly voiced his support for the BJP, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the central government in the last week of April.
BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday met Modi, adding more weight to the strong buzz in the party and media about a cabinet reshuffle
There was no official word on what transpired at the meeting, and party sources played down its significance, pointing out that such meetings, which are also sometimes attended by union ministers Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj, are regular monthly affairs. They are held to take stock of political affairs.
If and when a shuffle happens, Uttar Pradesh, which goes to the polls early next year, is likely to get more representation. Assam, whose chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal was a union minister before he returned to lead the state government, can also get a replacement. Some state ministers could be elevated to cabinet rank, sources said.
