Who's In, Who's Out? Modi's Cabinet Reset Has Bandi on the Edge, Pradhan Sweating and Nitish Waiting

A major reshuffle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Union Council of Ministers appears imminent, with sources in the ruling dispensation indicating the exercise could be carried out before the Monsoon Session of Parliament begins in the third week of July . The shake up is expected to be carried out in tandem with the announcement of a new BJP organisational team under party president Nitin Nabin , with younger faces set to be deployed in prominent roles. The dual reset signals the party's intent to project fresh energy ahead of crucial state elections.

The date for the ministerial reshuffle is expected to be fixed keeping in mind the Prime Minister's packed schedule. PM Modi is currently on a three day tour to Seychelles and is also likely to travel to Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand between July 6 and 11, while Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to visit New Delhi from July 1 to 3. Political circles believe the decision making process is already underway. The buzz intensified after PM Modi met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 23, followed two days later by Home Minister Amit Shah making a similar visit to the President.

The most certain casualty of the reshuffle appears to be Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan , whose tenure has been relentlessly battered by the NEET paper leak scandal and irregularities in the CBSE digital marking system. With street protests by the Cockroach Janta Party at Jantar Mantar demanding his resignation drawing wide public sympathy, the BJP leadership is understood to have concluded that Pradhan has become an electoral liability it can no longer afford to carry into the Assembly election season. His exit, insiders say, will be projected not as accountability but as a government responding to the aspirations of the youth.

From Telangana, Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar is widely expected to be dropped from the Council of Ministers. The controversy surrounding his son's POCSO case has reportedly alarmed the party's national leadership, while complaints of interference in fellow BJP leaders' constituencies have further strengthened the case against him. Veteran leaders Eatala Rajender and D.K. Aruna are emerging as frontrunners to represent Telangana in the new Cabinet, with sources indicating that the state could even receive an additional ministerial berth.

Among the NDA allies, the most closely watched move involves JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar . The former Bihar Chief Minister relinquished the state's top post in April after entering the Rajya Sabha, and sources say PM Modi is keen on inducting him into the Union Cabinet. A portfolio vacated by Ashwini Vaishnaw is being discussed as a possible assignment. The move would be seen as a significant political gesture towards a coalition partner whose support remains crucial to the NDA's parliamentary strength.

The biggest portfolio shift under discussion involves Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman , who is reportedly being considered for the HRD Ministry, replacing Dharmendra Pradhan . Sources insist that such a move would not amount to her exit from the Cabinet, as removing India's longest serving Finance Minister outright could be interpreted as an admission of failure. In her place, former RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das , who currently serves as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, is being discussed as a strong technocratic choice to lead the Finance Ministry ahead of the 2027 Union Budget and the longer political runway leading to the 2029 Lok Sabha elections .

The reshuffle is also being driven by broader political calculations, including balancing the Cabinet across regional, caste, and loyalty considerations. Greater representation is expected from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Punjab ahead of Assembly elections in those states next year. Representatives from the rebel TMC and Shiv Sena (UBT) factions may also find places in the Council of Ministers, subject to the Lok Sabha Speaker's ruling on pending anti defection proceedings. As always, the final decision rests with Prime Minister Narendra Modi , who has consistently kept his political moves closely guarded until the moment they are announced.