Scindia, Sonowal among ministerial probables who met Modi

Ahead of the Union Cabinet expansion on Wednesday evening, ministerial probables met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence.

Those meeting Modi included Bharatiya Janata Party's Narayan Rane, Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ajay Bhatt, Bhupender Yadav, Shobha Karandlaje, Sunita Duggal, Meenakshi Lekhi, Bharati Pawar, Shantanu Thakur and Kapil Patil, Janata Dal-United's R C P Singh, Lok Janshakti Party's Pashupati Paras and Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel.

Some ministers of state, including G Kishan Reddy, Parshottam Rupala and Anurag Thakur, were also there, and they may be elevated, sources said.

BJP president J P Nadda also attended the meeting.

The expansion exercise is scheduled to be held at 6 pm at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Amid the buzz that Modi may also drop some ministers, Union minister Santosh Gangwar has quit.

This will be the first reshuffle in his Council of Ministers by Modi since he assumed charge for a second term in May 2019.

The prime minister is expected to bring in young faces and give representation to various social groups and regions in the reshuffle.