Azad may get Parliamentary Affairs
If Mr. Pawar's burden is lightened, the NCP may be compensated by elevating Minister of State for Civil Aviation Praful Patel to the Cabinet
The reshuffle will also be used to fill the vacancies created by Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the exit of Telecom Minister A. Raja and Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, and perhaps to divest Cabinet Ministers holding more than one portfolio of one of their charges
Of the allies, Nationalist Congress Party leader and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who has been in the firing line for the soaring food prices, may have one of his three portfolios — Food and Civil Supplies — taken away; last year Mr. Pawar publicly said he had asked the Prime Minister to ease his burden
Mr. Pawar has also been the subject of a great deal of criticism in Congress circles, with the party holding him responsible in large part for the spiralling food prices
Monday's meeting between the Prime Minister and the President follows a series of meetings Dr. Singh has had in recent days with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on changes both in the government and the party, especially reconstituting the Congress Working Committee
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