Speculation is rife that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made up his mind to reshuffle and expand the union cabinet. There appears to be a strong political logic behind the possible expansion as a beleagured government needs reassurance about its majority.

Apparently decks are almost cleared for Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Ramdoss's PMK to join the government. The negotiation with Ajit Singh has been going on for years as the Congess wants to rope in the Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh in order to augment the party's (the Congress') strength in the country's most populous state.

Similarly, Ramdoss's move is seen as realignment of the dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu. This has to be seen in the context of the prime minister resisting all pressure to remove communications and IT minister A Raja despite overwhelming evidence of impropriety again him.

Perhaps Manmohan Singh is scared of the prospect of inducting more ministers from the Karunanidhi family. As it is, two close relatives of the DMK chief, Dayanidhi Maran and M Alagiri, are in the union cabinet.
 
In Ajit Singh's case, the prime minister is learnt to have agreed to the Jat leader's wish that he be assigned the food and civil supplies ministry, a portfolio held by Sharad Pawar along with the agriculture. This is precisely why Pawar's statement that he wants his burden be reduced is to be seen as a precursor to a possible cabinet reshuffle and expansion.