While there is no official word on whether Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh would reshuffle his council of ministers before the winter session of the Parliament kicks off on November 9, highly placed sources close to the prime minister aver that he is of the view that it is better to take 'pre-emptive action' against some ministers whose ministries are under investigation on the grounds that they have been shifted to ensure there is no hindrance to the probe agencies.
According to sources, the assessment in the government is that Parliament will not be allowed to run and there will be no session since the entire Opposition will unite to put the government on the mat. A senior minister said, "No one will protect the Congress party."
With the prime minister having already let loose various agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax Department, a special probe committee, with raids having begun and the internal letters of the DDA clearly blaming the construction giant EMAAR MGF of large scale corruption, senior leaders point out that the case for corruption in the Commonwealth Games has already been established.
The Opposition charge that with the ministers still holding onto their ministries, the investigative agencies would not be able to do an unbiased job, has led to the prime minister wanting to diffuse the situation and gain the moral high ground by either shifting some ministers or changing their portfolios.
According to sources, Sports Minister M S Gill is in trouble and may even be dropped while Minister for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy is in line for a change of portfolio.
Sources also say that Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit will be facing rough time as there are a large number of complaints against her.
For the record, Games Oraganising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi has made it clear that "I am no Natwar Singh. I should not be made a scapegoat in this entire affair."
With Sheila Dikshit having led the charge against Kalmadi, it looks unlikely that he will let her live in peace.
Sources say that apart from the ministers who were involved with the Games, there are a number of other portfolios which would need to be filled and some others are waiting to be rationalized, since the prime minister has not been able to affect long awaited changes.
While the Culture Ministry continues to be with the prime minister, there is a vacancy in the Ministry of External Affairs after the exit of Shashi Tharoor. Many in the party also target Environment and Forests Minister Jairam ramesh and Law Minister Veerappa Moily.
With the prime minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi having a packed calendar before the beginning of the winter session of Parliament, including PM's foreign visit from October 24 to 30, Indira Gandhi's martyrdom day on October 31, the one day All India Congress Committee meeting on November 2, the visit of United States President Barack Obama beginning on November 5 from Mumbai, sources say that the leadership is looking at fitting in the much needed reshuffle.
Otherwise it would become difficult for the government and the party to defend itself and make it heard in the winter session of the Parliament.
Sources also disclose that with Sonia Gandhi is slated to reconstitute the Congress Working Committee on November 2 and after that, it would be in consonance with her style of functioning to shift some CWC members who are being removed either to the ministry or some other position of responsibility.
With a number of leaders holding dual responsibilities in both the government and the AICC, the mood is now to rationalise these responsibilities and strictly bring in the 'one-man one-post norm' in the party.
As with the government, similarly the AICC is also going to see changes beginning with Pradesh Congress Committee presidents being appointed before the AICC session.
