The much awaited reshuffle of the Union cabinet will take place tomorrow, ahead of which C P Joshi also stepped down as Cabinet minister after Ajay Maken.

Both Joshi and Maken had handed over their resignations last night. Their resignations were today accepted by President Pranab Mukherjee with immediate effect, a Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said. The reshuffle will take place tomorrow evening, a Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesperson said.

The names of Meenakshi Natarajan, considered close to party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, and Oscar Fernandes are being mentioned in Congress circles for a possible berth in the Union Council of Ministers. There was also speculation that Minister of State Charan Das Mahant, who hails from poll-bound Chhattisgarh where the Congress leadership was attacked by Maoists recently, will be elevated. Joshi, who was holding dual portfolios of surface transport and highways and railways, resigned following "directives" from the Congress high command, sources close to him told PTI.