Kashmir Impulse Desk

New Delhi, June 25

Home Minister Amit Shah met President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday, a routine engagement that nonetheless fuelled speculation of an impending reshuffle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s council of ministers.

The President’s office confirmed the meeting in a brief statement accompanied by a photograph released on social media, but did not disclose details of the discussions.

The meeting came two days after PM Modi separately called on President Murmu, adding to political speculation that changes to the Union cabinet could be announced in the coming weeks.

While neither the government nor the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has commented on reports of a reshuffle, recent organisational changes within the ruling party have intensified such expectations.

George Kurian, who served as Minister of State for Minority Affairs and for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, recently demitted office after completing his Rajya Sabha term and was not renominated by the BJP.

Similarly, Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh lost his Rajya Sabha seat after his term expired earlier this month and has also not been renominated.

Political observers have viewed those vacancies as creating room for changes in the ministerial line-up.

Speculation has also been fuelled by the BJP’s decision to assign key organisational responsibilities to several serving ministers.

Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra was recently appointed president of the BJP’s Delhi unit, while Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary continues to head the party’s Uttar Pradesh organisation.

Cabinet reshuffles in India require the approval of the President on the advice of the Prime Minister and are often preceded by consultations between senior government leaders and Rashtrapati Bhavan. Neither the government nor the President’s office has indicated whether Thursday’s meeting was related to any such exercise.