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PM Modi to meet President over today cabinet expansion

by IBNS 06 Nov 2014, 11:05 am

New Delhi, Nov 6 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday amid reports of a possible cabinet expansion soon, media reports said.

The meeting will take place at the presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhawan for “Gurbani”, Sikh prayers, to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

Vice President Hamid Ansari is likely to be present at the meeting as well, sources said.

There are altogether 22 cabinet members and another 22 ministers of state, including 10 with independent charge, in the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Front (NDA) government.

Many of the Bharatiya janata Party (BJP) heavyweights like Nitin Gadkari and Arun Jaitley shoulder multiple ministries now.  

Reports said Manohar Parrikar, 58, the Chief Minister of Goa, responded cautiously to speculation that he would soon take over one of the important charges from Arun Jaitley – Defence ministry.

“I came here to discuss Goa issues…He (Modi) did not say anything about that (becoming a union minister)...You should ask him,” Parrikar said after meeting PM Modi in Delhi on Wednesday.