Union Cabinet reshuffle on June 22? Poll-bound states - UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab - may get more representation

New Delhi: The much-awaited Union Cabinet reshuffle is expected to take place on June 22 - a move which may see Prime Minister Narendra Modi dropping non-performing ministers and inducting new faces in place of them.

According to media reports, in the nest Union Cabinet reshuffle, poll-bound states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab are likely to get more representation.

Among the probable names doing the rounds from politically significant Uttar Pradesh are party MPs Yogi Adityanath, Satyapal Singh and Sadhvi Savitri Bai Phoole.

The names of Navjot Singh Sidhu, Rameshwar Teli from Assam and Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Ajay Tamta from Uttarakhand are also doing the rounds. There is no representation from Uttarakhand in the Cabinet at present.

Party sources said more representation may also be given to Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

The Union Cabinet is also expected to get a new Minister of State for Sports (independent charge), a post which fell vacant due to Sarbananda Sonowal's resignation after his appointment as the Chief Minister of Assam.

The party sources claim that the next cabinet reshuffle is likely to take place after International Yoga Day celebrations on June 21.

The time is appropriate for revamping the Union Cabinet as President Pranab Mukherjee is expected to return to India on June 18 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to leave for abroad on June 23.

The reshuffle is expected to be followed by organisational changes. There were speculations that Modi may axe some ministers because of their poor performances and failure in achieving the government's goals.

However, senior BJP leaders like Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari are expected to retain their Cabinet portfolios.

PM Modi, as per reports, is eager to re-organise the ministerial team at the earliest since he wants to execute some pending work.