The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has retained 34 ministers from his outgoing council of ministers, including 19 with Cabinet berths, in his new government. This move underscores the prime minister’s focus on continuity and experience in his third term.
The outgoing Cabinet ministers who took the oath again on Sunday include prominent figures like Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, and S Jaishankar. Annapurna Devi is the only minister promoted from Minister of State rank to Cabinet minister. L Murugan, despite losing the Lok Sabha election, retained his position due to his Rajya Sabha membership.
Several ministers have made a comeback after a gap, including BJP chief J P Nadda, who served as a minister in Modi’s first term, along with Jual Oram and Ajay Tamta.
Key Cabinet Ministers:
– Rajnath Singh: A former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and national president of the BJP, Singh has handled key portfolios of Home and Defence. He retained his Lucknow seat with over 1.35 lakh votes.
– Amit Shah: With a 25-year political career, Shah has been the Union Home Minister and Minister for Cooperation. He retained the Gandhinagar seat by over 7.44 lakh votes.
– Nitin Gadkari: Known for his association with the RSS and promotion of bio-fuels, Gadkari retained the Nagpur seat.
– Nirmala Sitharaman: Serving as the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Sitharaman is a Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka.
– S Jaishankar: A career diplomat and former foreign secretary, Jaishankar has been the External Affairs Minister.
Other Notable Ministers:
– Piyush Goyal: Held various portfolios including Commerce and Industry, and Railways. He won from the Mumbai North seat.
– Dharmendra Pradhan: Served as Minister of Education and Skill Development. He won from Sambhalpur in Odisha.
– Pralhad Joshi: Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines. He won from Dharwad in Karnataka.
– Sarbananda Sonowal: Former chief minister of Assam, now serving in the Lok Sabha from Dibrugarh.
– Giriraj Singh: Served in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, later moved to Rural Development.