Although legal provisions allow these two ministers of state to continue in their posts for the next six months, Congress sources said party president Sonia Gandhi wanted them out on moral grounds. JMM chief Shibu Soren is unlikely to be recalled to the Cabinet, unless the Congress leadership has a last-minute change of heart.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, who was recently sidelined in favour of Pachauri for the post of Madhya Pradesh party chief, is set to be rewarded with a ministerial berth. Joining him may be another young MP, Sachin Pilot, whose inclusion makes political sense as BSP chief Mayawati has been wooing Gurjjars in Rajasthan ahead of the polls in November.

Senior Congress leader from Chhattisgarh Ajit Jogi is also in the contention for a Cabinet berth. He could, however, face competition from another Young Turk, Rajnandgaon MP Devwrat Singh.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia are reported to have discussed these names during their meeting last week. But the final list is likely to emerge after another round of discussions between the two.

The reshuffle could see a conscious attempt on the part of the Congress to shed the party’s “upper caste look” in north India, according to party sources. There is growing concern in the Congress about the public perception that backward communities are getting short shrift in the party’s scheme of things, especially in north India.

In most of the states in the region, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Punjab, the Congress units are headed by either a Brahmin, Thakur or a dominant caste. In Uttar Pradesh, for instance, the AICC general secretary in-charge of the state, PCC chief and CLP leader are all from the upper castes, even as the Congress seeks to make forays into backward caste votebanks.