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BJP organisational changes and Cabinet expansion likely only after Purushottam Maas concludes in June.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi may take a considerable amount of time to reshuffle his team. According to indications emerging from the meeting of the Union Council of Ministers, the government’s entire focus right now is on the economic crisis.
All ministers have been issued directives to cut down on their respective ministries’ expenditures, keeping the country’s current situation in mind, and to also keep a close watch on their respective states and parliamentary constituencies. The Prime Minister’s stance suggests that he will make decisions regarding changes only once the situation returns to normalcy.
Tensions persist between Iran and the United States, with hopes for a resolution rising and falling intermittently. Although positive news regarding oil supplies surfaces occasionally, much depends on the outcome of a potential agreement between the U.S. and Iran. While the U.S. has expressed willingness to supply oil to India, the overall situation does not yet appear to be improving.
According to experts, the matter of a reshuffle in the Union Cabinet could drag on until after the Monsoon Session of Parliament. There are two primary reasons for this: the ongoing economic crisis and the shifting political equations within various states.
Meanwhile, it is possible that the new team under BJP President Nitin Nabin could be announced following the conclusion of the Adhik Maas (intercalary month), also known as Purushottam Maas, which began on May 17. The Purushottam Maas concludes on June 15. Traditionally, no auspicious ceremonies or undertakings are performed during this month.
Consequently, the BJP’s new executive body and cabinet expansions in various states are likely to take place after June 15. West Bengal Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari is also expected to expand his cabinet around the same time. Shubhendu has since returned after holding a round of discussions with Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The BJP strictly adheres to the customs and traditions of the Hindu faith.
Following the BJP’s significant victory in West Bengal, political equations within the opposition camp have shifted rapidly. The opposition has been left stunned by the TMC’s crushing defeat. Mamata Banerjee now faces a crisis regarding the very survival of her party.
The manner in which the party’s senior MP Kakoli Ghosh was removed from the post of Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha is being interpreted as a sign of an impending split. Kakoli Ghosh is reportedly disgruntled with the party. The Central Government, too, has signaled the emergence of new political alignments by immediately providing her with ‘Y’ category security cover.
Sources suggest that a major split within the TMC could occur in the coming days. Several MPs from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha are reportedly in contact with the BJP. Since the crushing defeat in Bengal, there has been deep resentment within the TMC against Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, which could lead to a major faction of the party breaking away at any moment.
Similarly, there is growing unease among MPs of regional parties in Maharashtra and Punjab. In Punjab, the BJP is also believed to be targeting certain Congress MPs.
It is understood that Prime Minister Modi may take additional time before reshuffling his team, given the deteriorating economic situation and rapidly shifting political landscape across several states. How long the delay continues remains to be seen.
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