India, June 5 -- The exclusion of key ministers and elevation of new leaders point to changing priorities in the party

The announcement of candidatures for the Rajya Sabha for some of the States by the BJP on Thursday gave enough indications for a major shake-up in the Narendra Modi-led Council of Ministers later this month.

The names of Union ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu and George Kurian did not figure in the list of BJP candidates. Both ministers' term in the Upper House ends on June 21. Last week, the party announced another Minister of State, Harsh Malhotra, to head the Delhi state unit of the BJP.

BJP fielded party national general secretary Tarun Chugh from Madhya Pradesh and Satish Poonia from Rajasthan. While Bittu is a Rajya...