Parrikar may resign as Goa CM today, discussions on his replacement underway

New Delhi: With a Cabinet expansion likely on Sunday, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is likely to move to the capital soon. As reports of him taking charge as the Defence Minister come to the fore, Parrikar is likely to resign as Goa Chief Minister after meeting the state Cabinet on Friday evening.

He is scheduled to meet Goa MLAs on Friday to decide his replacement in the state. RSS backed BJP leaders - Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Speaker of Legislative Assembly Rajendra Arlekar are being seen as front runners for the top post.

Parrikar is likely to take charge of the Defence Ministry which is currently held by Arun Jaitley as an additional charge along with the Finance Ministry portfolio.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reached out to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu on who should be inducted into the Cabinet from his party. Naidu reportedly, has proposed the name of party MP in Rajya Sabha YS Chowdhury for inclusion in the Union Council of ministers.

Other probables in the Cabinet are Haziribagh MP and son of veteran BJP leader Yaswant Sinha, Jayant Sinha. A BJP leader from Rajasthan and a Jat leader from Haryana could also be inducted. BJP leader Hansraj Ahir who exposed the coal block allocation scam could also find a seat when the expansion takes place.

The BJP-led NDA government is also keen to make Shiv Sena leader Suresh Prabhu a minister at the Centre but Shiv Sena has conveyed that the leader cannot be sent to to Parliament till 2016 and has put forward Anil Desai's candidature for Rajya Sabha.

The Union Cabinet is likely to be expanded on Sunday and the swearing-in ceremony of the new ministers in likely to take place on Sunday evening.

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Parrikar may resign as Goa CM today, discussions on his replacement underway