Banerjee seems to have developed an excellent rapport with Singh and thinks he would be of great help this time around, too, as she would be busy for the Assembly elections due in 2011. The Congress is likely to give in to her demand, sources added.

An understanding also seems to have been reached between the Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh for the smooth sailing of Satish Sharma from Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha elections slated for June 17. While RLD would vote for Sharma, as a quid pro quo, Singh would be gifted a berth in the Union Cabinet.

Of the remaining five berths, four new faces are likely to be inducted after relieving the dual charges that Ministers like BK Handique, CP Joshi, Kumari Selja and Salman Khursheed are currently holding, with one berth remaining vacant. While Handique is holding Ministries of Mines and Development of North-eastern Region, CP Joshi is holding Ministries of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Selja of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Tourism and Khursheed of Corporate Affairs and Minority Affairs.

Sources further said though controversial Telecommunications Minister A Raja will not lose his Ministerial berth, the PM will shift him to another Ministry.

"As of now, a change in his portfolio is surely on the cards," sources said.