Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet expansion will see 19 new ministers being inducted based on talent. On Tuesday morning, Modi said, “This is not reshuffle, but an expansion. Cabinet expansion is a natural thing to do. As long as I am judged for my work, I am happy.”
Minister of State (Independent charge) Prakash Javadekar has been elevated to Cabinet rank.
BJP’s national vice-president SS Ahluwalia, BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh Fagan Khulaste, BJP’s Rajya Sabha MPs Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi, Vijay Goel, Ramdas Athawale and former editor MJ Akbar have taken oath. Writer and conservationist Anil Madhav Dave Parshottam Rupala, former bureaucrat Arjun Ram Meghwal, Jaswantsinh Bhabhor, Mahendra Nath Pandey, Rajen Gohain, Ajay Tamta, Krishna Raj, Mansukh Mandaviya, CR Chaudhary, advocate PP Chaudhary and surgeon Subhash Bhamre and Anupriya Singh Patel of the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh ally Apna Dal have been sworn in as ministers. Their portfolios will be announced later in the day.
The ministers are from 10 states, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Assam. There are three each from UP and Gujarat, and one from Uttarakhand; states going to polls next year.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley tweeted congratulating his colleagues. “I congratulate & welcome my colleagues inducted in the Union Council of Ministers today. I wish them the very best for the new assignment.”
Railways minister Suresh Prabhu as well said, “Congrats to all the colleagues,sworn into Council of ministers today. We all work as team under @narendramodi to fulfil our shared mission”
Congrats to all the colleagues,sworn into Council of ministers today.
We all work as team under @narendramodi to fulfil our shared mission— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) July 5, 2016
