The Union Ministry's imminent reshuffle has been deferred by at least a week and may now take place only the next weekend or in the first week of October as a top Congress source said there are many ticklish issues yet to be sorted out like bringing Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to the Centre and dispatching a union minister to Andhra Pradesh. Also, President Pranab Mukherjee is to visit Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The discussions between Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is nearing completion.

The delay in the reshuffle may also push further the shakeup in the AICC as the source said Sonia Gandhi may effect the changes in the party set-up as also in some states only after October 15, which may see Rahul Gandhi occupying the No 2 position in the party to reduce the load on the shoulders of his mother. Rahul Gandhi is being consulted not only in selection of Sonia's new team with which he has better rapport but also in the decision on the ministry reshuffle.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had initiated the exercise and even sounded the allies to suggest names for induction, but the process got derailed because of the Trinamool Congress tantrums ended in its ministers' resignations on Friday. Fresh consultations were felt necessary as it is going to be the last reshuffle before the 2014 elections and the PM wants to ensure he has the best team that does not need any further changes

There was speculation on Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil being brought back as the External Affairs Minister in place of S M Krishna whom Sonia Gandhi wants to send to Karnataka to refurbish the party for pulling down the BJP government in the next elections. The Congress sources said there was absolutely no discussion on Patil's name, though it is true that the PM is also keen to have someone else in place of Krishna as he is not satisfied with his performance.

They said Manmohan Singh's team will have a clear stamp of Rahul Gandhi since Sonia Gandhi is involving him in the exercise of picking up those for the ministry who are helpful to him in the organisational responsibilities of the Congress he is going to take up.

Pending appointment of the new railway minister in place of Trinamool's Mukul Roy, Road Transport and Highways Minister C P Joshi was temporarily given the additional charge of the railway ministry. Five other resigned Trinamool ministers were just ministers of state and hence no need to fill the vacancies that is necessary only in case of the cabinet posts.

In normal course, the Prime Minister assumes the temporary charge on the resignation of a cabinet minister, but he has made it clear to Sonia Gandhi that he would not do so since after burning his fingers in holding the charge of the coal ministry during 2006-09 that prompted the BJP to demand his resignation, the Congress sources revealed. He, therefore, recommended appointment of Dr Joshi to President Pranab Mukherjee.

Manmohan Singh also called on Mukherjee Saturday evening to brief him about the political developments and major decisions taken by his government to improve the economy. Sources said he did not have to take trouble to convince the President that the government has the majority even after the exit of Trinamool from the coalition as the latter told him that he has not to prove it when the Rashtrapati Bhavan already has the letters of support from the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

The Rasthtrapati Bhawan sources also scotched the speculation in the media that the PM had called on the President for the Cabinet reshuffle. The issue did not figure at all in their discussions, they said.

According to Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Venu Rajamony, the President assigned additional charge of Railway Ministry to Dr Joshi and accepted the resignations of six Trinamool ministers on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Besides Mukul Roy, the Ministers of State who so exited are Sudip Bandyopadhyay (Health), Saugata Roy (Urban Development), Choudhary Mohan Jatua (Information and Broadcasting), Sultan Ahmed (Tourism) and Sisir Adhikari (Rural Development).