News Analysis India

Tag: PM Modi cabinet

  • All you need to know about newly-inducted ministers in Narendra Modi’s cabinet

    By Express News Service
    Mansukh Mandaviya and Anurag Thakur will be the new ministers for Health and Information and Broadcasting respectively replacing Harsh Vardhan and Prakash Javedekar who were among the 12 dropped in the revamped Union Cabinet on Wednesday.  

    Ahead of the key Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi  also brought in Sarbananda Sonowal, Narayan Rane and Jyotiraditya Scindia and 33 other new members.

    Here’s a brief insight into the new and old faces of Modi’s faces

    Narayan Rane

    First-time Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra; six-time MLA and CM for a few months in 1999. Expelled from Shiv Sena in 2005; joined Congress; formed own outfit in 2017 which then merged with BJP

    Sarbananda Sonowal

    A law graduate, he was CM of Assam from 2016-2021; two-time Lok Sabha MP; was minister of state (independent charge) in the Modi government earlier; has been an MLA twice; seen as a major figure 

    Virendra Kumar

    MP from Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh; elected to Lok Sabha seven times; a PhD in child labour, he has served as MoS for Women & Child Development and Minority Affairs in the Modi govt in the past

    Jyotiraditya Scindia

    Five-time MP, currently Rajya Sabha member; was a minister in the UPA govt; quit Congress and joined BJP last year with 22 MLAs and helped the saffron party regain power in Madhya Pradesh; just reward, it seems

    Ram Chandra Prasad Singh

    An alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University and a retired IAS officer of 1984 batch, he is a Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar; is the president of Janata Dal-United and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s close confidante

    Ashwini Vaishnav

    Is a former IAS officer from Odisha and Rajya Sabha MP; has done MBA from Wharton School, Pennysylvania University and MTech from IIT Kanpur; has held leadership positions in global companies

    Pashupati Paras

    A Lok Sabha MP from Hajipur in Bihar and brother of the late Ram Vilas Paswan; has been a 7-time MLA; is heading the breakaway faction of LJP following the recent coup against nephew Chirag Paswan

    Bhupendra Yadav

    A lawyer and two-time Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan; close to Amit Shah; known for his leadership across various parliamentary committees; played key role in BJP’s accession to power in several states  

    Kiren Rijiju

    A prominent leader of BJP from Northeast (Arunachal); gets a promotion with Cabinet rank; was minister of state for sports and youth affairs earlier; was MoS Home in Modi government’s first term

    RK Singh

    Bureaucrat-turned politician who steered Modi govt’s power sector reforms agenda; two-term Lok Sabha MP from Arrah in Bihar; was MoS for power and renewable energy and skill development earlier

    Hardeep Singh Puri

     Is Rajya Sabha MP; was a 1974 batch IFS officer and one of India’s top diplomats who held several key positions such as Permanent Represen-tative to UN; was earlier minister for civil aviation, housing and urban affairs 

    Mansukh Mandaviya

    Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat; was minister of state for port & shipping and chemical & fertilisers; started his political career as member of the BJP’s youth wing; became the youngest MLA in Gujarat in 2002

    G Kishan Reddy

    MP from Secunderabad, Telangana; was earlier MoS; was earlier a three-time MLA and BJP floor leader in Telangana and undivided Andhra assemblies; was BJP state president in Telangana and undivided Andhra

    Parshottam Rupala

    A Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat; was earlier minister of state for agriculture and panchayati raj; is known for his humour and oratory skills; the 66-year-old served as a minister in state earlier

    Anurag Thakur

    Is the youngest from Himachal Pradesh to hold Cabinet rank in Union council of ministers; was earlier minister of state for finance; has served three terms spanning  seven years as BJPs Youth Wing president

    Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma

    Lok Sabha MP from Jalaun in Uttar Pradesh, serving his fifth term in Parliament; in 2001, he became vice-president of the Uttar Pradesh BJP’s SC Morcha and a decade later, he became its president

    Rajeev Chandrasekhar

    Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka; served on various parliamentary committees; has MTech in Computer Science from Illinois Institute of Technology and Advanced Management Program from Harvard University

    Meenakshi Lekhi

    Lawyer and two-time Lok Sabha MP from New Delhi; appointed vice-president of BJP’s Mahila Morcha in 2010; her contempt petition had forced Rahul Gandhi to apologise to Supreme Court for ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ jibe

    Shobha Karandlaje

    Lok Sabha MP from Udupi Chikmangalur in Karnataka; was an MLA and MLC earlier; is a close associate of Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddiyurappa; was a minister in his cabinet earlier

    Pankaj Choudhary

    Six-time Lok Sabha MP from Maharajganj in UP; began his political career in 1989-91 as member of Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation, later became deputy mayor; became member of BJP working committee in 1990

    Anupriya Patel

    President of BJP’s ally Apna Dal (S) and Lok Sabha MP from Mirzapur, UP; serving her second term; was earlier MoS-health in the Modi government; was a professor before entering politics

    SP Singh Baghel

    Lok Sabha member from Agra and serving his fifth term; holds PhD and law degrees; was minister in the Uttar Pradesh government in th past; a prominent SC face in this crucial heartland state; was in SP and  BSP earlier

    Darshana Vikram Jardosh

    A three-time MP from Gujarat’s Surat; was a corporator earlier and member of the Gujarat Social Welfare Board; an OBC face of the party; has served as a member of different committees of Parliament

    Annpurna Devi

    First-time MP from Kodarma, Jharkhand; was a four-time MLA and also served as a minister in the states of Jharkhand as well as Bihar; she has done Masters in History from the Ranchi University

    A Narayana Swamy

    First-time Lok Sabha MP from Chitradurg, Karnataka; was MLA for four terms earlier and minister in the state; SC face of BJP; said to be close to party national general secretary BL Santosh

    Kaushal Kishore

    The 61-year-old two-time MP represents Mohanlalganj Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh; belongs to SC (Pasi) community; state chief of BJP’s Scheduled Caste wing; was in Samajwadi Party earlier

    Ajay Bhatt

    MP from Nainital, elected first time to Lok Sabha; was a practising lawyer before joining politics; Brahmin face from Kumaon in Uttarakhand; was three-time MLA and Cabinet minister in the hill state

    BL Verma

    The 59-year-old is first time Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh; hails from Badaun district; is prominent OBC face; became UP BJP vice-president in 2018; is in Parliament Committee on Welfare of OBCs

    Ajay Kumar

    Lok Sabha MP from Khiri constituency in Uttar Pradesh; is the lone Brahmin face from among the ministers appointed from the state; represent Terai region; the 60-year-old former MLA also holds a law degree

    Chauhan Devusinh

    A two-term Lok Sabha member from Kheda in Gujarat; an OBC, was 2-time MLA earlier; prior to his full-time political career, he has served as an Engineer in All-India Radio; holds a diploma in Electrical Engineering 

    Bhagwanth Khuba

    Elected to Lok Sabha from Bidar in Karnataka for second term; hails from politically dominant Lingayat community; holds BTech degree in Mechanical Engineering; in Parliament’s Standing Committee on Agriculture

    Kapil M Patil

    Is Lok Sabha MP from Bhiwandi in Maharashtra, serving his second term; is BJP’s OBC face; shifted to the party from NCP; has been member of standing committee on defence & committee on absence of members from House

    Pratima Bhoumik

    First-time MP from Tripura West Lok Sabha seat; the 52-year-old BJP leader is from a humble background and holds a graduate degree in Bio-Science; is the first to be made minister from the state in three decades

    Subhas Sarkar

    Is a first-term Lok Sabha MP from Bankura in West Bengal; is a gynaecologist and board member of AIIMS Kalyani; has been BJP’s organisation man in the state; was made vice-president of West Bengal BJP in 2013 to 2017

    Bhagwat K Karad

    Rajya Sabha MP for Maharashtra, serving his first term; a doctor by profession, runs Dr Karad Multi Specialty Hospital & Research Center in Aurangabad; the 64-year-old has also served as mayor of Aurangabad

    Rajkumar Ranjan Singh

    Is a first-time MP of the BJP from Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency. The 68-year-old Singh was a professor of geography for four decades before becoming a lawmaker; holds MA and PhD degrees

    Shantanu Thakur

    Elected to Lok Sabha from Bongaon constituency of West Bengal; is an influential Matua dharma guru; has been actively involved in spreading Matua culture as a leader of All India Matua Mahasangha

    Bishweswar Tudu

    Is a Lok Sabha MP from Mayurbhanj in Odisha; hails from the Cuttack region; the 56-year-old holds a Diploma in Electrical Engineering,  worked as an engineer in state water resources dept prior to joining politics

    Bharati Pravin Pawar

    Is first-time Lok Sabha MP from Dindori in Maharashtra; holds MBBS degree and was a medical practitioner before joining politics; the 42-year-old also served as member of Nashik Zila Parishad

    Munjapara Mahendrabhai

    Is Lok Sabha MP from Surendranagar, Gujarat, serving his 1st term; prior to his political career, he had a 3 decades long career as a Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine in Gujarat; is known to be a social worker at heart

    L Murugan

    Practised law in the Madras High Court for 15 years before joining public life; was Vice Chairman of the National Commission of SCs from 2017 to 2020; he holds a LLM and PhD in Law from Madras University

    John Barla

    Is a Lok Sabha MP from Alipurduars, West Bengal, serving his first term; he started off as a tea garden worker at the age of 14 and has worked for the rights of tea garden workers for more than two decades

    Nisith Pramanik 

    He is a Lok Sabha MP from Cooch Behar constituency in West Bengal, serving his first term as a member of Parliament; the 35-year-old has worked as an Assistant Teacher in a Primary School and has a BCA degree

  • Seven ministers from poll-bound Uttar Pradesh; OBC & SC get lion’s share

    By Express News Service
    LUCKNOW:  With an eye on the 2022 Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted a maximum seven new ministers from Uttar Pradesh in the Union Council of Ministers.  Knowing well that the non-Yadav OBC and non-Jatav Scheduled Castes (SC) had played an integral role in BJP’s historic 312 seats in 2017, the Wednesday’s Cabinet expansion kept in mind addressing the caste arithmetic of UP, as barring one new minister, Ajay Kumar Mishra ‘Teni,’ all others hailed from the OBC or the SC segment.

    With the Patel (Kurmi) caste being second only to Yadavs in numbers in the OBC, two new inductees Pankaj Chaudhary and Anupriya Singh Patel are from the same caste, which has traditionally aligned with the BJP. The return of Anupriya (daughter of powerful Kurmi community leader late Sonelal Patel) in Team Modi is being seen as a timely effort by the BJP to keep Apna Dal (S) in good humour.

    The third OBC leader to make to the Union Cabinet is BL Verma. He belongs to the influential Lodh Rajput community which has a strong presence in central UP and Braj region.The three new SC inductees are Kaushal Kishore (who is considered close to Amit Shah), five-time MPs Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma and SPS Baghel.

    Through the re-induction of powerful SC leader Dr Virender Kumar (presently the third time MP from Tikamgarh) of Madhya Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region, the BJP has tried to strike a chord with the SC voters of adjoining Bundelkhand region of UP also.

    Keeping Brahmin vote in mind, the NDA inducted two-time MP from Lakhimpur Kheri seat Ajay Kumar Mishra ‘Teni.’The Cabinet expansion, however, didn’t have any new minister from the Jat caste which is at the forefront of the nationwide farmers agitation. 

    NISHAD Party gets raw deal from CentreApart from the Jat community which did not find place in the revamped Union Council of Ministers, another notable exception was BJP ally NISHAD Party, whose president Sanjay Nishad has recently tried to play pressure politics with the BJP, demanding that he be declared deputy chief minister face of the ruling alliance while going into the 2022 polls.