Assembly polls will dictate next reshuffle

Even as Wednesday's cabinet reshuffle has drawn a great deal of flak from all directions, sources say that part of the reason for not dropping any ministers was the advice of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, to wait till the budget session and the polls in five states were over.

Sources said the belief was that by that time,Trinamool Congress chief Mamata could well be out of the cabinet as there is every likelihood that she could be the next chief minister of West Bengal. Along with this, the the fate of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam would also be clear, depending on whether they win the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The Congress may rejig its relationship with the DMK depending on the post-poll scenario in Tamil Nadu. 

It was felt in the government that once the position of these two key allies (TC and DMK) was clear, the Congress could move ahead and plan its road map for the next two and a half years of its tenure.

A part of

this thinking is also likely to be reflected in the All India Congress Committee. A senior Congress functionary was of the view that the leadership may go in for minimal changes in the organisation or only as much as was required and may like to look at the big picture after the budget session when the cabinet would also be changed in a more "expansive" way, to quote the PM himself.

The leader said the only outstanding issue before the Congress president was the presence of union ministers in the organisation holding dual charge. While the party leaders have been claiming that there would be 'one man one post', it is now being said that the Congress president is taking a fresh look at whether the organisational changes should be made or things should be left as they stand.

There is the question of constituting the Congress Working Committee (CWC) which has been dissolved but sources say that it is not necessary that the CWC be constituted immediately as that can also be left pending for the time being.