New Delhi: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said he would effect a "minor" reshuffle "soon", indicating the possible re-induction of Trinamool Congress leader Mamta Banerjee into the Union Cabinet.

"There will be a minor reshuffle soon," Vajpayee said soon after the swearing-in of new ministers by President A P J Abdul Kalam at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Shortly after the swearing-in ceremony, the Prime Minister said a minor reshuffle would be undertaken soon, an indication that problems with Trinamool Congress would be sorted out and Banerjee taken in.

Vajpayee said talks were underway with her and there was no attempt to break her party.

Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena nominee in the Cabinet and Heavy Industry Minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil resigned to make way for Subodh Mohite, who was elected to Lok Sabha for the first time from Ramtek in Maharashtra. A few years ago, Mohite was a personal assistant to a Mahrashtra Minister in the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government.

Though the portfolios of the new Ministers are yet to be announced, Rajnath Singh, a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, who rejoined the Cabinet after a gap of two years, is widely tipped to take charge of Agriculture portfolio following the resignation of Ajit Singh.

The elevation of Khanduri follows some good work he is said to have done in the implementation of the golden quadrilateral project.

Civil Aviation Minister Shahnawaz Hussain is likely to be shifted to Textiles.

Minister of State for Finance Gingee Ramchandran resigned on May 23 in the wake of the arrest of his personal assistant on bribery charges. There was no replacement made for Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) on May 24.

PTI