Sunday, November 13 2005 15:33 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to go in for the much-talked about expansion-cum- reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers this week, well in time ahead of the winter session of Parliament beginning on November 23.

Talk is gaining ground in political circles that the Prime Minister, known for his cautious ways, could proceed with the exercise anytime after the period of national mourning for late President K R Narayanan gets over on November 15.

Sources say that since there are over half a dozen vacancies in the Ministry, it was high time for such an exercise, which was deferred repeatedly for one reason or the other in the last few months.

Names of All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Ambika Soni, former Kerala Chief Minister A K Antony or senior leader Vayalar Ravi, former Orissa Chief Minsiter Giridhar Gamang or Chandrasekhar Sahu, G K Vasan from Tamil Nadu, Suresh Kalmadi and Gurudas Kamat from Maharashtra are doing the rounds.

A Muslim MP from Assam is also expected to get a ministerial berth with A F Golam Osmani's name figuring in political circles in view of Assembly polls. Union Minister Sontosh Mohan Dev, who hails from Assam, could be elevated to Cabinet status as also Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal.

It is unclear who would be inducted into the Cabinet from Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of shifting of Ghulam Nabi Azad to Srinagar as Chief Minister.

Among the ministerial aspirants are Mohsina Kidwai, T Subbarami Reddy, K S Rao, Rashid Alvi, Anand Sharma, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Ashwini Kumar.

Several Congress MLAs from Chattisgarh have stepped up pressure on the leadership for induction of former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi in the Cabinet for strengthening the organization in the tribal-dominated state.

Political observers are also wondering about fate of a handful of Ministers who have either not endeared themselves with the Prime Minister by their certain actions or their report card is not that encouraging.

However, a section of Congress believes the Prime Minister would go in for the exercise only after the winter session, which is scheduled to conclude on December 23.

Changes in the AICC Secretariat and appointment of some Governors are also likely soon.