Prime minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairman Sonia Gandhi are giving final touches to the long-awaited cabinet reshuffle and organisational changes. If sources in the prime minister’s office are to be believed, the two leaders held one-on-one discussions without aides last week to remove some impediments in the process. Another meeting to fine-tune these changes is to take place Friday between the two leaders and the subject may crop up at the party’s core committee meeting.

Informed sources also said that president Pratibha Patil has been sounded out about it and she will remain in the capital itself for most of next week. Gandhi has already signalled that the policy of ‘one-man-one-post’ will be implemented.

If the DMK has indicated its desire to induct T R Baalu in the cabinet in place of A Raja who quit the telecom ministry, the Nationalist Congress Party has sent a signal that Praful Patel be up-graded to the rank of a cabinet minister. Patel is minister of state in the civil aviation ministry with independent charge. With agriculture minister Sharad Pawar relinquishing the charge of food and civil supplies department, he has demanding an upgrade for Patel.

The NCP is keen for another infrastructure ministry if lieu of the aviation portfolio. While Baalu met Singh and Gandhi last week, Patel also had a meeting with the PM on Thursday and interacted with the Congress president before flying to Mumbai later in the evening. He made the unscheduled visit to Mumbai to discuss the matter with Pawar who is also in Mumbai.

Another key ally of the UPA, the Trinamool Congress, may seek the induction of a couple of its MPs into the cabinet. The TMC has 19 MPs in the Lok Sabha and is entitled to an enhanced quota as per the power-sharing formula.  Railway minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee held telephonic conversation with the UPA leaders in Delhi as she does not intend to come here soon.

As for the Congress leaders, corporate affairs and minority affairs minister Salman Khurshid may be promoted and sent to the law ministry in place of M Veerappa Moily. There are also reports that he may be sent to the party.

Sources in the AICC say that since three ministers – Ghulam Nabi Azad (Health), Mukul Wasnik (Social Justice) and V Narayanswami (Personnel) – are holding the post of party general secretary as well, they may have to forego one of the two. In all likelihood, they will continue to be in the government.

It is also learnt that external affairs minister S M Krishna will continue to hold the post. Kapil Sibal will retain in the telecom ministry, also hold the charge of science & technology but may have to shed the HRD portfolio. The PM’s main worry is to tone up the functioning of the infrastructure sector and the reshuffle may affect a couple of existing ministers.

The reshuffle may also need to be watched for the Rahul factor. While Sachin Pilot and Jitin Prasada are already in the cabinet, the talk of bringing Milind Deora in has gained ground. Some fresh faces like Meenakshi Natarajan may be inducted into the party in senior posts. A final picture is likely to emerge in a couple of days, sources say.