Dilli Gupshup: Reshuffle blues: Will Shukla go and Bansal return?

The disquiet over Kapil Sibal...

Modi's rise rattles the UPA...

Nitin Gadkari is missed...

All this, and more, in this week's Dilli Gupshup...

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has started consulting Congress president Sonia Gandhi to undertake a Cabinet reshuffle, likely to be the last before the general elections slated next year. There are three key elements: Will Rajiv Shukla get the axe? Will Pawan Bansal return? Will Jairam Ramesh leave the Union Cabinet to work at the All India Congress Committee secretariat (actually, join Team Rahul Gandhi)?

Manmohan Singh is reportedly keen to let Shukla concentrate full time on cricket administration. He is equally keen to bring Bansal back as the CBI probe has reportedly found nothing against him in the bribery case involving his nephew.

On her part, Sonia is said to be finalising a list (of three Union ministers) who are slated to work full time in the party. If that happens, the political stock of Jairam Ramesh, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mukul Wasnik will go up.

Click on NEXT to find out why there is disquiet over Kapil Sibal...

Kapil Sibal's return as the law minister has led to considerable disquiet among Union ministers. Some senior ministers reportedly do not like Sibal's media savvy and often proactive role.

As as aside, Finance Minister P Chidarambaram is said to be advising caution to everyone while using Twitter. His directive came following a "communication gap" in a recent Cabinet meet where an ordinance relating to the vexed food security bill was to be cleared. The ordinance was not placed before the Cabinet; yet ministers had gone public over it on Twitter.

Click on NEXT to find out the mystery of the missing desert coolers...

North Block at Raisina Hills, which houses the Union home ministry, is facing a peculiar problem. There have been many instances of theft, mostly relating to desert cooler pumps. Babus supposedly monitoring the law and order situation across the country wonder how these pumps, so crucial to fighting Delhi's punishing heat and humidity, could go missing from such a high-security zone.

Last heard, the employees association is planning to take up the matter with Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.

Click on NEXT to find out how the planning commission wants to cut Modi to size...

The rise of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on the national political scene has rattled almost everyone in the United Progressive Alliance. With Lok Sabha elections inching closer, the Planning Commission too has decided to do its own bit to check Modi.

Informed sources claim that in the context of human resource development, a revised state-wise ranking is being prepared. Apparently, Gujarat's ranking does not match with chief minister's tall claims.

Click on NEXT to find out why Nitin Gadkari is missed...

Many senior BJP leaders may have been relieved following Nitin Gadkari's refusal to stage a comeback as the party's campaign panel head. But karamcharis working at 11, Ashoka Road, still miss him, though so many months have passed since Gadkari stepped down as BJP chief.

Gadkari was a popular figure among them as he had hiked their salaries, modernised offices and donated generously each time an employee faced financial emergency ranging from sudden illness to marriage, etc.

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