Will Piyush Goyal put railways on track?

Mumbai: While Suresh Prabhu lost the railways ministry portfolio in Sunday's Union cabinet reshuffle, another Mumbaikar Piyush Goyal got the railway ministry. The reshuffle also saw state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) heavyweight leader Nitin Gadkari getting the water resources ministry. Apart from these minor changes, political pandits say that there is no gain or no loss for Maharashtra in reshuffle. 

After derailment of train in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Prabhu had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and offered to resign. Mr Prabhu was first Maharashtra rail minister after 1991's P.V. Narsimha Rao cabinet, when Pune Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi was minister of state for rail. Therefore, reports of Mr Prabhu's resignation have sent contradictory signals in Maharashtra politics. 

Suresh Prabhu

Mr Goyal was handling the power, coal and mining department. His attempts to bring reforms in power and coal are being applauded as the BJP government's major achievements. His rural electrification scheme has been is one of the much-talked about achievement. All these efforts have helped Mr Goyal get the most important ministry. 

Meanwhile, Mr Gadkari has been given charge of water resources ministry, which was under Ms Uma Bharati earlier. Water resource ministry is key in development of irrigation projects. Maharashtra has been demanding more funds for building large and medium scale irrigation projects in the state. Sources say that with Mr Gadkari in charge of the water ministry, the state may now get a bigger share of funds from the union government.