One More Chartered Accountant to be inducted in Union Cabinet?

Speculations are rife that Shiv Sena leader Suresh Prabhu may be inducted in the Union Cabinet.

As per reports doing the rounds on Thursday, the BJP-led NDA government is keen to have Prabhu in the Cabinet.

However, some reports also suggested that the Shiv Sena had declined such a offer and said that the leader cannot be sent to Parliament till 2016. It is being said that they have instead put forward Anil Desai's name as candidate for the Rajya Sabha.

Prabhu was a former minister in the Vajpayee government and is a qualified Chartered Accountant.

At the moment he is heading a government panel on power revamp called Advisory Group for Integrated Development of Power, Coal and Renewable Energy.

An expansion of the Union Council of Ministers will be undertaken on Sunday in which about 10 new faces, including Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, are likely to be inducted in an exercise that may also cover some allies, reports said.

Indications are that the reshuffle could take place around 1.30 pm on Sunday, two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves on a three-nation 10-day tour. By then, President Pranab Mukherjee would have also returned on Saturday from a trip to Bhutan, as per PTI.

There is a possibility some ministers with independent charge could be elevated in the first recasting of his ministry Modi will be undertaking since he assumed power in May.

Parrikar, who is tipped to get defence portfolio, went as far as to indicate the sure possibility of his induction when he said he will take up the responsibility at the Centre "if the nation requires" his services.

Among the names doing the rounds for induction are Jayant Sinha, son of former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, Anurag Thakur from Himachal Pradesh, Jat leader from Haryana Birender Singh, Bhumiar leader from Bihar Giriraj Singh or Bhola Singh, Col Sonaram Chaudhary and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, both of Rajasthan, and Hansraj Ahir from Maharashtra.

With Agency inputs