Cabinet reshuffle likely at 1700 hrs: Rashtrapati Bhavan sources

New Delhi: The much-awaited reshuffle of the Union Cabinet is likely to be held this evening, sources at the Rashtrapati Bhawan said here.Though there was no official announcement of the timing, sources at Rashtrapati Bhawan said the Cabinet reshuffle is likely to be held at 1700 hrs.
They said President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and her team had been alerted to the swearing-in at 1700 hrs.
Sources in the Congress party said the reshuffle was earlier scheduled to be held this evening but had to be deferred due to the massive accident that occurred with the Kalka Mail on Sunday, leaving over 80 dead and more than 239 injured.
Prior to the reshuffle, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi are expected to have another meeting this morning to give final touches to the exercise.
This will be the third meeting between the two in as many days on the issue.
Though it is not known what would be the composition of the new Cabinet and who would be dropped or included, sources said Mr Dinesh Trivedi of the Trinamool Congress was likely to be given the charge of Cabinet Minister for Railways.
Also, TMC chief whip in the Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay was likely to get a berth in the Cabinet.
The reshuffle was necessitated following the resignations of DMK Ministers A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran who were allegedly involved in 2G Spectrum scam.
Ms Mamata Banerjee had also resigned as Railway Minister after she was elected Chief Minister of West Bengal.