BJP plans Union Cabinet reshuffle by June 15-18, up to a dozen ministers in play; drops Bittu, Kurian from Rajya Sabha slate

India's ruling BJP is preparing a significant reshuffle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Union Council of Ministers, expected between June 15 and 18, 2026, as the government enters its third year and seeks to shed anti-incumbency. According to The Week (May 30) and The Tribune (June 5), at least two cabinet ministers and three ministers of state are expected to exit, with 10-12 ministers reassigned to new portfolios.

Ministries flagged for change include Railways, Finance, Corporate Affairs, Coal, Textiles, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & IT, Rural Development, Chemicals & Fertilisers, Cooperation, Fisheries, Jal Shakti, Agriculture, Environment and Law. A clear signal came on June 5 when the BJP omitted two sitting ministers of state from its Rajya Sabha nomination slate for the June 18 Upper House election: Ravneet Singh Bittu (MoS Railways and Food Processing, dropped from Rajasthan) and George Kurian (MoS Fisheries, dropped from Madhya Pradesh).

The party instead nominated Tarun Chugh from Madhya Pradesh and Satish Poonia from Rajasthan; with their terms ending and no Upper House seat secured, Bittu's and Kurian's ministerial futures are in doubt. The reshuffle is being tied to a parallel organisational rejig — fresh state unit presidents named in Delhi (Harsh Malhotra) and Uttar Pradesh (Pankaj Chaudhary) — and to easing intra-party frustration over power-sharing ahead of 2027 state elections including Punjab.