Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted 21 Ministers into his team during the first-ever Cabinet expansion of his government, which took charge in June 2014. The Ministers included 4 Cabinet, 3 MoS Independent charge and 14 MoS. Manohar Parrikar, Suresh Prabhu (Shiv Sena), JP Nadda and Choudhury Birendra Singh took oath as Cabinet Ministers. With this, the strength of Modi Cabinet goes up to 66. Barring YS Chowdary (TDP) and Babul Supriyo, all Ministers took oath in Hindi.
Parrikar could be the next Defence Minister of India. Suresh Prabhu, one of the most performing ministers during Vajpayee government, was chosen by the Prime Minister himself, not by Shiv Sena. He may be given the Railways. Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai skipped the swearing-in even though he was selected by the Prime Minister.
Ch. Birendra Singh, a prominent Jat leader, who left Congress ahead of Haryana polls, was rewarded for his significant contribution to BJP’s victory in recently concluded assembly polls. He may get the Rural Development portfolio. JP Nadda is considered as a key strategist of the BJP.
BJP’s prominent Muslim face Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, senior leader from Secunderbad, Bandaru Dattatreya and Rajiv Pratap Rudy were sworn-in as MoS (Independent charge). Other 14 MoS included Hansraj Ahir (Maharashtra), Ram Kripal Yadav (Bihar), Giriraj Singh (Bihar), Babul Supriyo (West Bengal), Mohanbhai Kundaria (Gujarat), Ramesh Bais (Chhattisgarh), Jayant Sinha (Jharkhand), YS Chowdary (TDP – Andhra Pradesh), Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Rajasthan), Vijay Sampla (Punjab), Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Uttar Pradesh), Mahesh Sharma (Uttar Pradesh), Ramshankar Katheria (Uttar Pradesh), Sanwar Lal Jat (Rajasthan).
If we consider the reigional representation, four MPs from Uttar Pradesh got Ministerial berths in today’s expansion. Bihar got three Ministers, including Rudy, who defeated Rabri Devi, Ramkripal Yadav, who defeated Lalu Yadav’s daughter Misa Bharti and Hindu fundamentalist leader Giriraj Singh. West Bengal got its share, as singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo was made a Minister. Olympic silver medalist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who served in Indian Army, too got a ministerial berth. Rajasthan got two Ministers in this expansion. Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha’s son Jayant Sinha also got the nod.
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Cabinet Ministers:
1. Manohar Parrikar (Goa)
2. Suresh Prabhu (Shiv Sena – Maharashtra)
3. JP Nadda (Himachal Pradesh)
4. Ch. Birendra Singh (Haryana)
MoS Independent Charge:
5. Bandaru Dattatreya (Telangana)
6. Rajiv Pratap Rudy (Bihar)
7. Dr. Mahesh Sharma (Uttar Pradesh)
Ministers of State:
8. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (Uttar Pradesh)
9. Ram Kripal Yadav (Bihar)
10. Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary (Gujarat)
11. Prof. Sanwar Lal Jat (Rajasthan)
12. Mohanbhai Kundaria (Gujarat)
13. Giriraj Singh (Bihar)
14. Hansraj Ahir (Maharashtra)
15. Prof. Ramshankar Katheria (Uttar Pradesh)
16. YS Chowdary (TDP – Andhra Pradesh)
17. Jayant Sinha (Jharkhand)
18. Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Rajasthan)
19. Babul Supriyo (West Bengal)
20. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Uttar Pradesh)
21. Vijay Sampla (Punjab).
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