Cabinet expansion on Sunday; Parrikar says party asked me to take up assignment at Centre

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.
  
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.
  
The IIT-Mumbai graduate and a man with a clean image, Parrikar had a meeting with Modi and BJP President Amit Shah yesterday and he met party MLAs in Panaji today, possibly discussing his successor.
  
He said Shah had asked him to take up an assignment at the Centre, if offered, and made it clear that he was willing to shoulder the responsibility.
  
"Party President Amit Shah spoke to me in the morning and asked me to accept any assignment that would be given by the Prime Minister," he told reporters.

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Manohar Parrikar may get defence portfolio in Cabinet reshuffle

There is talk that there could be an induction of as many as 10 ministers. The names of Jat leader from Haryana Birender Singh, who also had a meeting with BJP President Amit Shah, Giriraj Singh, an MP from Bihar, and G S Shekhawat, MP from Rajasthan, are doing the rounds for inclusion in the Union Council of Ministers.
  
Talk of the Cabinet expansion gained momentum after Parrikar arrived here during the day cancelling a Goa Cabinet meeting and straight going into a meeting with Shah. Later in the night, he followed it up with a meeting with Modi with whom he shares a good rapport.
   
In all his brief interactions with media on two-three occasions, the Chief Minister did not deny suggestions that he was being tipped to be the Defence Minister.
  
"I can comment on it only after meeting the Prime Minister. Let the Prime Minister who has invited me comment," he said when asked about the media speculation after his meeting with Shah.
  
However, after his meeting with Modi he told reporters that they only discussed Goa issues and there was no talk on his induction in the Union Cabinet.

"I have not discussed nor has he discussed anything about that. So, as of now the issue is dead. The news is dead," he said.
  
"I had requested for a meeting (with Modi) to discusses issues of Goa and this is what was discussed. He has accepted my demands for Goa," he said. When asked if he would continue as chief minister, he said, "Obviously."

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