These developments also set the stage for a major organisational reshuffle in the Congress, with AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi getting a bigger responsibility in the party with a revamped team. Congress sources said Rahul could be elevated as secretary general or vice-president of the party.

The sources did not rule out the possibility of Soni’s appointment as political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, along with Ahmed Patel. Soni and Patel had been made political secretaries to Sonia earlier too.

In his resignation letter sent to the Prime Minister, Krishna is learnt to have said that he wanted to make way for younger people, and that he did not want any other post. He said that he had always benefited from the Congress, and would work as the party’s loyal soldier.

There has been sustained speculation about the 80-year-old minister’s exit from the cabinet. As External Affairs Minister, he has been prone to diplomatic faux pas, which has included reading out a portion of the Portuguese foreign minister’s speech at the UN in February 2011.

On Thursday, the Karnataka Lokayukta court ordered an investigation into alleged irregularities in the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project under three former chief ministers including Krishna.

Krishna’s resignation has produced a vacancy in the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the contenders for which include HRD and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, Commerce & Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Law Minister Salman Khurshid. Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil too is said to be vying for the position.

Sonia met the PM Friday evening to discuss Krishna’s replacement and finalise the lists of new ministers, promotions and changes in portfolio.

While Rahul will not join the government, the fact that he has participated in the deliberations over the reshuffle suggests that the council of ministers could have a more youthful look.

Ministers of State Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot, Jitin Prasada and Milind Deora might hope for a promotion. Younger MPs like Pradeep Majhi and Manish Tewari are among ministerial hopefuls. Sources said that Meenakshi Natarajan and Jyoti Mirdha, who were earlier tipped to be in the race, are out of contention now.

Chiranjeevi, who merged his Praja Rajyam Party with the Congress, is likely to be rewarded with a ministerial berth. Two other MPs from Andhra Pradesh — P Balram Naik of Mahabubabad and K J Surya Prakash Reddy of Kurnool — were said to have got calls from the cabinet secretariat asking them to be in Delhi on Sunday.

Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, the Congress MP from Maldaha South in West Bengal, too was said to have received a similar call.

Senior NCP leader Tariq Anwar is likely to replace Agatha Sangma as his party’s nominee in the ministry.