It has been one year since Prime Minister Narendra Modi shuffled his cabinet. Now, with three vacancies in his team, Modi will have to find suitable replacements, after the parliament session comes to an end in August.
Venkaiah Naidu is on his way to becoming the next vice president, leaving behind vacant portfolios of urban development, information and broadcasting. Smriti Irani was given additional charge of the prestigious information and broadcasting ministry, certainly an elevation, since she was shifted from human resource development to textiles in July 2016. Additional charge of urban development was given to rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar. But this might be a temporary solution and a rejig could soon be on the cards.
Defence and environment are the other two key ministries whose additional charges are now with different ministers. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is looking after defence since Manohar Parrikar shifted back to his home state of Goa. Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave had recently expired. His portfolio is now with minister of science and technology, Harsh Vardhan.
The likely rejig in his team may come after the parliament session is over, on August 11. By that time, a new president and vice president will take charge.
As the government has completed three years in power and just two years remain before the next elections, the focus will shift to delivery of promises and be stabilising the economy, particularly after the GST roll-out.
In his Independence Day Speech on August 15, Modi is likely to present a report card of previous promises, while suggesting a few more policy initiatives. He will need ministers in place, handling the key vacant portfolios, rather than assigning them as additional charges.
