As it happened: Javadekar replaces Smriti Irani as HRD minister after cabinet reshuffle

New Council of Ministers

For those coming in just now, here’s what the Council of Ministers looks like after the reshuffle:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Personnel, Public Grievances &  Pensions
Department of Atomic Energy
Department of Space

Cabinet Ministers

Rajnath Singh
Home Affairs

Sushma Swaraj
External Affairs

Arun Jaitley
Finance &
Corporate Affairs

M Venkaiah Naidu
Urban Development
Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation
Information &  Broadcasting

Nitin Jairam Gadkari
Road Transport and Highways
& Shipping

Manohar Parrikar
Defence

Suresh Prabhu
Railways

D V Sadananda Gowda
Statistics & Programme Implementation

Uma Bharati
Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation

Najma A Heptulla
Minority Affairs

Ramvilas Paswan
Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution

Kalraj Mishra
Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises

Maneka Sanjay Gandhi
Women & Child Development

Ananth Kumar
Chemicals & Fertilizers
Parliamentary Affairs

Ravi Shankar Prasad
Law & Justice
Electronics & Information Technology

Jagat Prakash Nadda
Health & Family Welfare

Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati
Civil Aviation

Anant Geete
Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises

Harsimrat Kaur Badal
Food Processing Industries

Narendra Singh Tomar
Rural Development

Panchayati Raj
Drinking Water & Sanitation

Chaudhary Birender Singh
Steel

Jual Oram
Tribal Affairs

Radha Mohan Singh
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

Thaawar Chand Gehlot
Social Justice and Empowerment

Smriti Zubin Irani
Textiles

Harsh Vardhan
Science & Technology
Earth Sciences

Prakash Javadekar
Human Resource Development

PTI

Oncologist Subhash Ramrao Bhamre replaces Rao Inderjit Singh as MoS Defence

Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, an oncologist and a first-time MP from Maharashtra, was today appopinted as the Minister of State for Defence.

He replaced Rao Inderjit Singh who has been made Minister of State for Planning (Independent Charge) and Urban Development Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation.

Bhamre’s induction into the Union Ministry is being seen as the Modi government’s attempt to compensate Maharashtra for the exit of Raosaheb Danve, who resigned after being appointed the president of BJP’s state unit.

It is also an effort to humour BJP supporters in Jalgaon-Dhule belt, who are apparently unahppy over the exit of party heavyweight Eknath Khadse from the Devendra Fadnavis Ministry in the wake of accusations of wrongdoing in purchase of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation land.

Bhamre, born on 11 September, 1953, defeated Amrish Patel of Congress to enter the Lok Sabha in 2014 elections from the Dhule constituency, bordering Gujarat. His constituency adjoins Jalgoan, the home turf of Khadse.

He has been offering free treatment to cancer patients.

He has conducted free multiple medical camps and surgeries. He organised public education speeches for cancer awareness and its early detection and prevention.

Bhamre is also known for visiting houses of financially weak cancer patients, who couldn’t afford to visit hospital for diagnosis and treatment.

The 63-year-old BJP MP is a Member of the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare and also a Member of the Consultative Committee, Ministry of Railways. He is also member of the Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes.

Bhamre was among the ’non-political’ personalities fielded by BJP in 2014 elections and registered a convincing victory over Patel as the Modi wave swept the constituency.

During his college days, Bhamre was the vice captain of Mumbai University’s chess and basket ball teams. 

PTI

Shivraj Chouhan thanks PM for giving MP ’largest-ever’ representation
 

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making three more MPs from the state union ministers, and elevating Prakash Javadekar to the cabinet rank.

MP now has eight ministers in the union cabinet.

“I express gratitude to the Prime Minister for giving Madhya Pradesh the largest-ever representation in the union cabinet after the Independence,” Chouhan said.

This will accelerate the pace of development in the state, he said in a release.

Javadekar, earlier a minister of state with independent charge, was today made a cabinet minister, while MJ Akbar and Anil Dave were sworn in as ministers of state. All three are Rajya Sabha members from Madhya Pradesh.

Besides, BJP’s tribal face Faggan Singh Kulaste was also inducted.

Lok Sabha members from the state, namely, Sushma Swaraj, Narendra Singh Tomar, Thawar Chand Gehlot, and Rajya Sabha member Najma Haptullah already represent Madhya Pradesh in the union cabinet. 

PTI

Hansraj Gangaram Ahir is MoS Home Affairs

Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, a 61-year-old Lok Sabha MP from Chandrapur, Maharashtra, has been appointed MoS Home Affairs.

Ramdas Athawale bags Social Justice portfolio

Ramdas Athawale is the new Social Justice and Empowerment minister. Born in Maharashtra’s Agalgaon in Sangli district on 25 December, 1959, Athawale has been a member of the Rajya Sabha since 2014.

Manoj Sinha new MoS Communication and IT

Fagan Singh Kulaste is new MoS Family Health and Welfare 

Fagan Singh Kulaste has been appointed as MoS Family Health and Welfare. Born in Barbat in Mandla district, the 57-year-old MP was elected to the Lok Sabha from Mandla. He has been a Lok Sabha MP four times between 1996 and 2004 and a Rajya Sabha member between 2012-14.

Smriti Irani tops Twitter trends

Smriti Irani is trending on Twitter, after news broke that she has been shifted out of the Human Resources Development Ministry and into Textiles Ministry. She has even beaten Jayant Sinha, who is now third on Twitter’s trending topics in India.

Here’s how Twitterati is reacting to the shock:

#SmritiIrani finally booted out of #HRD. What a relief for suffocated education system!

— RR (@RichieRego) July 5, 2016

PM Modi still acts way beyond pundits' predictions. Exactly why one shouldn't write off Smriti Irani. You can't predict where she is headed

— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) July 5, 2016

Smriti Irani at textiles, Chetan Chauhan at NIFT - why do I get the feeling that this will not end well?

— saliltripathi (@saliltripathi) July 5, 2016

Moving #smritiirani out of HRD & RS Prasad from telecom are truly robust & meritocratic decisions.Welcum evidence that NaMo means business.

— AKSHAT JETHLIYA (@aksh_jethliya) July 5, 2016

Did you know? 

SS Ahluwalia, who has been appointed MoS Parliament Affairs, was born in Jaykay Nagar in Burdwan on 4 July, 1951. He holds BSc and LLB degrees. He is a Lok Sabha MP representing Darjeeling. He was Minister of State for Urban Affairs and Employment, and Parliamentary Affairs between September 1995 – May 1996.

With Jayant Sinha moving to Civil Aviation, Arjun Meghwal is appointed as the new MoS Finance. Born in Bikaner on 20 December, 1953, Meghwal holds MA, LLB and MBA degrees. He is a retired IAS officer.

Birendra Singh loses Rural Development, gets Steel portfolio: NDTV

Ananth Kumar retains Chemical and Fertilisers portfolio but is also now the new Parliamentary Affairs minister

Change in environment ministry

With Javadekar moving to HRD, Anil Madhav Dave is new Environment, Forest and Climate Change minister. Born in Barnagar, Ujjain on 6 July, 1956, he holds a masters degree in commerce. He is a member of Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh.

Sadananda Gowda loses Law Ministry portfolio, is shifted to Statistics and Programme Implementation

Mahesh Sharma loses Civil Aviation, retains Culture and Tourism portfolio

Jayant Sinha is the new MoS Civil Aviation while Ravishankar Prasad has been appointed law minister. Vijay Goel is MoS Sports.

Smriti Irani gives up Human Resource Development Ministry, is new textiles minister

Smriti Irani has been moved from HRD Ministry to Textiles Ministry and Prakash Javadekar is now the new HRD Minister, reports Times Now. Venkaiah Naidu has been allotted the I&B portfolio while SS Ahluwalia has been appointed MoS Parliament Affairs. 

Rajen Gohain is new MoS Railways while Babul Supriyo is new MoS Urban Development

MJAkbar is MoS External Affairs

Katheria and Kundaria accept fate, say will work for the party

Ram Shankar Katheria and Mohanbhai Kundaria seemed to have reconciled to the fact that they have been dropped from the council of ministers. 

Katheria told IANS that his exit from the union council of ministers has nothing to do with the controversial statements he made, which he continues to stand by.

He told IANS that perhaps the changes in the ministry were necessitated and the party will enlist his services on organisational assignments mainly in view of the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh. 

“Mujhe lagta hai ki hum log sangathan mein kaam karenge, chunav hai to hum log jyada kaam karenge (I think we will work in the organisation, we will work more in view of the polls),” Katheria told IANS.

“It was necessary. What kind of reshuffle was needed in the government, I think, honourable Prime Minister did it.”

Katheria, who was minister of state for HRD, also said that he was being dropped from the council as “my party would need my services in the organisation. I will abide by the decision of the party leadership”. 

Asked if he may be required to play a role in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, which are scheduled next year, the Agra MP said that nothing specific has been conveyed to him.

Katheria further said that BJP chief Amit Shah did not say anything particular about his role in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. “Whatever BJP chief and the party would decide, I would go by it.” 

He maintained that it is wrong to say that he was dropped because of his controversial remarks.

“Whatever I said, I said in the nation’s interest and I stand by it,” Katheria said.

About a fortnight ago, while addressing a gathering at the Lucknow University, Katheria had said there would be “saffronisation of education and the country” which, he suggested, was being done because it was “beneficial” for the country. 

“Whatever is good for the country will be done, be it saffronisation or Sanghwaad (propagation of RSS ideology),” the minister had said. 

Gujarat’s Rajkot MP Mohanbhai Kundaria, who was Minister of State for Agriculture, said that he accepted the party’s decision. 

“I accept the party’s decision. I am a soldier of the party which gave me several opportunities. I was five-time MLA in Gujarat and two-time MP. I was also made the party’s district president. The party’s decision is right,” he told IANS. 

IANS

Javadekar promoted, 19 new faces get berth in Cabinet reshuffle

View pics from the oath-taking ceremony  here

New ministers will do their best for country: Shah

BJP President Amit Shah today expressed confidence that the newly-inducted ministers in the government will do their best for the country.

“Congratulations to all newly sworn-in ministers. I am sure under the leadership of PM Shri Narendra Modi they will do their best for India,” he said in a tweet.

Party leaders said with many of those coming from Dalit and OBC community been given large representation in the Union Cabinet, it will help the organisation electorally.

BJP’s National Secretary Sidharth Nath Singh noted that a number of new ministers have served in state governments earlier and are conversant with delivery mechanism of the central projects on the ground.

“Their experience will be big help and strengthen the agenda of cooperative federalism,” he told reporters. 

PTI

Gujarat leader Mansukhbhai Vasava says he is clueless about why he was dropped from Cabinet

Mansukhbhai Vasava said that three months back, in a letter to Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, he had threatened to quit the post if his complaints regarding tribal welfare in the state were not addressed.

“I have no idea why I was asked to leave, will seek clarity from the party high command. As a tribal minister, I
did all that was required for the benefit of tribal community and regions, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Vasava told PTI.

“But I was working in a hostile condition in my own ministry,” he said.

During the Union Cabinet expansion and reshuffle on Tuesday, Modi dropped Vasava and in his place inducted another tribal face from the state, Jaswantsinh Bhabhor.

PTI

BJP and the Brahmin vote in UP

BJP is exercising precaution not to annoy the upper castes in Uttar Pradesh. The Cabinet reshuffle exercise includes a Brahmin face from the state.

The induction of Chandauli MP Marendra Nath Pandey, a prominent Brahmin leader from eastern UP, is a clear indication by BJP to woo the Brahmins.

The 58-year-old leader is a two-time MLA and his induction is seen as an example of BJP going the whole hog to win after being out of power for a decade-and-a-half in the state.

The party apparently does not want to leave anything to chance as far as retaining the upper caste voters is concerned, more so after the expulsion of state BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai.

Pandey’s induction in the central government is being seen as an attempt to reach out to the significantly large Brahmin vote bank in the state.

The Brahmins, who were traditionally Congress supporters, had been siding with BJP in the post-Mandal era. However, a large chunk of them later also voted for Mayawati’s BSP.

PTI

And the wait continues…

PM Modi is going to meet BJP leaders shortly to decide on portfolios for the newly inducted ministers, reports Times Now.

Why Krishna Raj’s induction is important

The swearing-in of Shahjahanpur MP Krishna Raj is also significant ahead of the UP polls as the Scheduled Caste community forms a sizable chunk of the electorate.

Forty-nine-year-old Krishna Raj belongs to Pasi community, which is also part of the large Dalit votebank. She is a first time BJP MP and one of the party’s Dalit faces from UP.

Raj was elected in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Shahjahanpur seat after her two stints in the UP Assembly in 1996 and 2007.

She belongs to the Rohilkhand region of the state and her inclusion in the expanded NDA ministry will give more teeth to the saffron party among Scheduled Caste Pasi electorate.

PTI

Kurmi vs Kurmi: Modi govt pits Anupriya Patel against Nitish Kumar 

The prominence given to Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel, a Kurmi leader from eastern Uttar Pradesh, is seen as BJP’s move to pre-empt rise of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, another Kurmi leader.

Her inclusion in the Council of Ministers is apparently aimed at consolidating backward votes, especially eastern parts of the state where Nitish has been trying to make a foray ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls.

So far, Nitish has held three rallies in UP and plans another visit later this month.

Anupriya, a first time MP, is an eloquent pro-Modi voice within and outside Lok Sabha whose OBC roots have positioned her as an important BJP ally in UP.

The 35-year-old Lok Sabha member from Mirzapur in UP won on the ticket of Apna Dal, a party founded by her father and Kurmi leader Sonelal Patel which later split, with the major faction siding with her mother, who expelled her from the party.

The support of BJP, Anupriya’s associates say, can help her claim the legacy of her father who built Apna Dal’s base among OBCs, primarily his fellow castemen Kurmis. 

BJP believes that a ministerial berth will give her the stature and gravitas required to work on Kurmi voters, who play an important role in deciding the fate of candidates in certain parts of the Hindi heartland state.

Her speeches in the Lower House on various issues have often drawn praise from the treasury benches.

PTI

Cabinet reshuffle signals India inching towards presidential form of govt

​

One unambiguous message that emanates from Tuesday’s cabinet expansion of the Modi government is that the governance in India, premised on the ‘collective responsibility of the cabinet ministers’, has over the years mutated into a ‘presidential form’ of government – slowly echoing a singular power system, like in the United States.

This clearly means that the stature of the prime minister dwarfs his cabinet colleagues so much that most of them are reduced to insignificant entities. Take for example the names of the 19 new ministers inducted in the council, and the five ministers who were axed; none with a few exceptions are etched in people’s perception for their distinct identity, or are known for their exceptional oratory skills and influence on national politics.

Of course, the expansion of the council of ministers can also be interpreted as a deft move to give representation to people who fall beyond the power politics of the charmed circle of Lutyens’ Delhi. This indeed is a positive trend, given the country’s size and diversity. But the fact that none of these leaders have the stature of being regional satraps marks a distinct deviation in the method of governance.

To read more, click here

Ministry expansion a drama before UP polls: Mayawati

Terming as a drama today’s expansion of the Union Council of Ministers, BSP chief Mayawati said giving representation to a couple of leaders from the deprived sections will not ameliorate the lot of those communities.

“The expansion of the Narendra Modi ministry carried out today is nothing but a drama enacted especially before Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Previous Congress governments had enacted a similar drama…BJP is merely following Congress,” Mayawati said in a statement.

“After more than two years, giving some minor positions to a couple of leaders from the deprived and weaker sections will not have any impact on the lot of these communities nor will it improve their social and economic condition,” she said.

It requires concrete and dedicated steps to uplift them but the Modi government is not concerned about it, the BSP chief said.

Mayawati alleged that since the Modi government has worked only for capitalists and neglected the poor, farmers, Dalits, backwards and Muslims in its two years years in office, it has created hype about the expansion of the Union Council of Ministers.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interaction with media on Monday, Mayawati said he has himself admitted that his government has not lived up to people’s expectations of controlling inflation and reducing unemployment.

She also contested Modi’s claim that development will be the agenda of his party in the UP polls and not caste or religion, saying the past record of BJP proved otherwise “as its development agenda has been limited to only that of capitalists”.

Mayawati said the Modi government is also faced with a serious charge of writing off Rs 200-crore fine imposed on Adani group by the forest and environment ministry and sought an explanation on the issue. 

PTI

What to make of PM Modi’s minimum govt promise?

Minimum government this certainly is not. Team Modi now comprises of 78 ministers – same as Manmohan Singh’s Council of Ministers.

Modi started his prime ministerial stint in 2014 with only 45 ministers, and this was widely flaunted as his commitment to minimum government. At that time, this writer had pointed out that Modi’s was a lean government, not a minimum government. But now it is not even a lean government. Seventy-nine is just a smidgeon short of the 81-member cap that the ninety-first amendment of the Constitution sets (15 percent of the strength of the lower house).

So what exactly does Modi mean by minimum government? In the May 2014 article, this writer had pointed out that minimum government is not about numbers, that it is a philosophy and a certain view of the role of the state, which Modi did not seem to have grasped.

Two years on, he still does not seem to have understood the essence of the philosophy of minimum government.

When asked, at an interaction with a group of journalists, about his minimum government, maximum governance slogan, Modi replied: “Earlier, a cabinet note used to take at least three months to get prepared. Now files are getting cleared in 15 days to one month; there could be exceptions. . . . Earlier the government used to work in silos, it no longer works in silos.”

Sorry, but that may be maximum governance but definitely not minimum government.

To read more, click here .

Modi tempers reliance on youth with induction of 10 experienced ministers 

BJP MP from Mandla in Madhya Pradesh, Faggan Singh Kulaste who was born on 18 May 1959, at 57 is a senior leader. At 58, Mahendra Nath Pandey is another BJP leader from UP who joins the Union Council of Ministers from the crucial northern state.

Fifty-six-year-old Ramdas Athawale is a RPI(A) leader from Maharashtra.

Born on 6 July 1956, Anil Madhav Dave, a BJP Rajya Sabha MP representing Madhya Pradesh, got an advance birthday present as he joined the council of ministers, just a day before he turns 60.

However, there are many others who are above 60 and bring a wealth of experience with them.

Sixty-five-year-old MJ Akbar is a veteran journalist. Former Union Minister Vijay Goel, at 62 has again become a part of the Council of Ministers. Goel represents Rajasthan in Rajya Sabha, and a key BJP leader in Delhi.

Another veteran who has now become a minister is 61-year-old Arjun Ram Meghwal. The Bikaner MP was the party’s Chief Whip in the current Lok Sabha.

Sixty-four-year-old Ramesh C Jigaginag, who represents the Bijapur constituency of Karnataka has also been included in the council of ministers. Veteran BJP leader SS Ahluwalia (65) is another leader who brings in vast experience of public life with him.

PP Chaudhary, who celebrates his 63rd birthday in a week being born on 12 July, 1953, is the sitting MP from Pali, Rajasthan. Sixty-eight-year-old CR Chaudhary represents Nagaur in Rajasthan, 61-year-old Gujarat veteran and Rajya Sabha MP Parshottam Rupala, SR Bhamre who is MP from Dhule in Maharashtra are among others above the age of 60.

Another senior 65-year-old Rajen Gohain, is a Lok Sabha MP from Assam, where the BJP scored a crucial electoral victory in the recent assembly polls.

PTI

Anupriya Patel, 35, youngest new face as Modi inducts five new ministers below 50 years of age

Bringing in five ministers aged below 50, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to give more space to youth in his council of ministers.

At 35 years, Anupriya Patel, who comes from electorally crucial Uttar Pradesh, is the youngest face to be inducted in the Modi government today. Patel’s party Apna Dal is a key NDA ally in UP which goes to polls in 2017.

Forty-three-year-old Almora MP Ajay Tamta who was born on 16 July, 1972 is young face from Uttarakhand, which like UP is also poll bound next year.

Mansukhbhai Mandaviya, BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, is another young leader who has become a Union minister at just 44-years of age. Gujarat too is going to polls next year.

Forty-nine-year-old Krishna Raj is BJP MP from Shahjahanpur, while Jaswantsinh Bhabhor who represents Dahod in Gujarat, being born on 22 Aug 1966, turns 50 next month.

PTI

Best wishes to the new Ministers inducted into the #ModiCabinet. pic.twitter.com/oRT3EwTRPn

— Ministry of WCD (@MinistryWCD) July 5, 2016

Did you know?
Six lawyers, a specialist in cancer surgery and a PhD degree holder are among ministers who were today inducted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ministry.

Apart from these, four ministers have post-graduate degree, five are graduate and two are undergraduates.

Out of six lawyer ministers, PP Chaudhary practised law in the Supreme Court while the others are Vijay Goel, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Arjun Ram Meghwal, SS Ahluwalia and Rajan Gohain.

Subhash Ram Rao Bhamre is the only minister with a medical background in the newly expanded Council of Ministers. He is a doctor with super specialisation in cancer surgery.

Ministers Krishna Raj, Anupriya Singh Patel, CR Chaudhary and Anil Madhav Dave have post-graduate degree, while MJ Akbar, Ramesh Jigajinagi, Jaswant Sinh Bhabhor, Parshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya are graduates.

Mahendra Nath Pandey is the only newly inducted minister who holds a doctorate degree. He is PhD in Hindi.

The other two ministers, Ajay Tamta and Ramdas Athalwale, are undergraduate, as per the information available on the websites of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. 

PTI

President Mukherjee has accepted the resignation of Sanwar Lal Jat, Minister of State for Water Resources River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation; Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Nihal Chand, Minister of State for Panchayati Raj; Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs; Ram Shankar Katheria, Minister of State for Human Resource Development.

Cabinet approves short-term loans to be given to farmers, reports ANI.

Cabinet approves short-term loans to be given to farmers

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Eid holiday has changed from 6 July to 7 July, informs RS Prasad at the briefing.

Delhi: Cabinet & CCEA briefing by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad pic.twitter.com/8CW6bCnmOy

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Major announcements are being made at the Cabinet and CCEA briefing. Cabinet gives ‘in-principle’ approval for setting up a major port at Enayam near Colachel in TamilNadu; approves long-term contract with Mozambique for import of pulses; and clears National Apprentice Promotion Scheme, according to ANI.

High courts to be renamed

RS Prasad stated after the Cabinet meeting that Calcutta HC will now be known as Kolkata HC, Bombay HC now Mumbai HC and Madras HC now Chennai HC, reported ANI. 

Calcutta HC will now be known as Kolkata HC, Bombay HC now Mumbai HC and Madras HC now Chennai HC: RS Prasad after cabinet meeting

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

The induction of Vijay Goel as minister in the Modi government marks a turnaround in his fortune. The fall in the 62-year-old Goel’s stock was as swift as the rise of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in the party. He was removed as BJP’s Delhi unit chief and assigned little role in the last two Assembly elections in the national capital. He was sent to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.

Goel’s perseverance and efforts to voice the party’s and the government’s agenda have brought him back in the reckoning and his experience as a minister in the first NDA government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee was seen as an added asset.

Many in BJP believe that the media savvy leader can be an effective counter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s
frequent attacks on the central government.

PTI

PM Narendra Modi meeting the ministers, who have been newly inducted into Union Council of Ministers in New Delhi.

Image courtesy: PIB

SS Ahluwalia bounces back

The induction of SS Ahluwalia as a minister in the Modi government marks a turnaround in the fortune of the leader, who was identified with the old order in the BJP and seen to be not in the good books of the top party brass until not long ago.

Ahluwalia, 65, was a minister in the Narasimha Rao-led Congress government before he joined BJP and was seen close to party leader Sushma Swaraj.

In 2012, the party then headed by Nitin Gadkari, did not nominate him again to Rajya Sabha when his term ended. Later, he was given a Lok Sabha ticket in 2014 to contest from Darjeeling in place of Jaswant Singh.

He is seen as an effective parliamentarian.

An outspoken leader who speaks Hindi and English besides some regional languages with equal ease, Ahluwalia’s understanding of parliamentary affairs and experience as a former minister are seen as his positives.

PTI

Apart from the Congress, the AAP also hit out at the NDA government over the Cabinet reshuffle. 

Modi is the only minister in his cabinet.This reshuffle is a smoke screen to hide his failure as PM.

— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) July 5, 2016

Wishing all the newly sworn in Ministers of Hon @narendramodi ji's Cabinet a successful tenure!#ModiCabinet pic.twitter.com/7MDDSfYw8d

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) July 5, 2016

Shiv Sena miffed after Cabinet reshuffle

Meanwhile, the BJP’s ally the Shiv Sena does not appear to be too pleased with the Cabinet rejig. Party spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that this was a swearing-in ceremony of the BJP, not the NDA. Raut is also the editor of the Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana.’

Surgeon-turned-politician Subhash Bhamre inducted in Cabinet

From an oncologist-surgeon to a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s council of ministers, the journey has been a unique one for Subhash Bhamre, who was elected from Dhule parliamentary constituency in Maharashtra.

Born in Malpur in Dhule district of Maharashtra, Bhamre was a medical practitioner before he embarked upon a political career. He was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket, and on Tuesday was sworn-in as Minister of State.

Bhamre, who did his medical studies in Mumbai at Grant Medical College, JJ Hospital and Tata Cancer Hospital, wrote a research paper on “Breast Cancer” for International Cancer Conference in Hungary.

Bhamre has conducted several free medical check-up camps and free surgeries for poor patients. He has also organised public education events to create awareness about cancer and its early detection and prevention, and health awareness programmes.

Bhamre is a member of the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare apart from being a member of the Consultative Committee on the Ministry of Railways, and Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes.

IANS

From telephone operator to Union Minister: Arjun Ram Meghwal

A bureaucrat-turned-politician, Arjun Ram Meghwal, the chief whip of BJP in Lok Sabha, is known for his penchant for pedalling to Parliament.

Meghwal was born into family of weavers in Kishmidesar village of Bikaner district. He began his career as a telephone operator while pursuing his LLB and got into the Rajasthan Civil Services after two failed attempts.

He was later promoted to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

A two-time MP, the 61-year-old was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009 from Bikaner constituency which was earlier represented by Bollywood star Dharmendra.

Known for his active participation in Lok Sabha debates on a variety of issues, Meghwal had recently attacked the judiciary for its “extra constitutional” activism. The dalit leader had demanded that “running commentary” by judges should end. Easily identified by his green and saffron turban, Meghwal has of late started using a bicycle to commute to Parliament during sessions. This, he says, saves fuel, protects environment and keeps him fit. He often sings bhajans in the morning which he says keep him mentally alert.

As an MP, he has been a member of various parliamentary Committees including on defence, science and technology, environment and forest, personnel, public grievances and law and justice. Meghwal has participated in many programmes for development of Rajasthani language and its inclusion in 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

Portfolios for new ministers to be announced at around 4 pm

According to TV reports, the newly-inducted council of ministers are in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the PMO for tea. Reports further added that the portfolios for the new ministers will be announced at around 4 pm today.

We refuse to indulge in speculation.If &when decision is taken regarding role of Priyanka G Vadra,we shall be happy to share it:RS Surjewala

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Will dutifully discharge responsibility: Javadekar

Prakash Javadekar, the lone minister to be promoted to Cabinet rank today, said he will “dutifully” discharge the responsibility given to him, while other newly inducted ministers cited carrying out the government’s development agenda as their priority. “This is more responsibility and I will do it dutifully,” Javadekar said after taking oath.

​An MP from Maharashtra, S R Bhamre, who joined the Council of Ministers, said what could not be achieved in 60 years was done in the last two years by the Modi government, the only target of which is ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’.

“I will definitely meet the expectation from me. The Modi government has completed two years and many a good work have been done. But still a lot of work is left. Our Prime Minister’s only target is Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ and development is the only agenda,” he said.

“Priority will be given to work for the interest of the farmers, youths, women, besides making efforts for uplift of all sections of society including Dalits,” he said.

Faggan Singh Kulaste, an MP from Madhya Pradesh who also secured a ministerial berth, said the government in the last two years had taken important decisions and his responsibility is to see that their implementation is being done properly at the grassroot level.

“The government has taken many important decisions and it is our responsibility to see that their implementation is being done properly and taken to the grassroot level,” he said. To a question, Kulaste said he will be happy with whatever ministry is given to him.

#CabinetReshuffle reflects bankruptcy of ideas within the govt, will make no difference in the governance: Randeep Surjewala

— News18 (@CNNnews18) July 5, 2016

Congress has only one allegation against us – Intolerance: Sambit Patra

Reacting to Congress statement after 19 new ministers were inducted in Narendra Modi-led NDA government, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that Congress has no other argument to corner the Narendra Modi government. “They should be thinking what to do with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi during UP elections.”

Cabinet is working in a very good way, added Patra.

Incompetent ministers have not been punished: Congress #ModiCabinet https://t.co/95SwpHkJaH pic.twitter.com/NMeZzAXxqI

— Firstpost (@firstpost) July 5, 2016

Khoda pahaar nikli chuhiya: Congress slams Modi and his #CabinetReshuffle

Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that PM Narendra Modi is encouraging sycophants by giving them Cabinet posts. “It is a ploy just before elections,” said Surjewala.

Delhi: Ramdas Athawale and SS Ahluwalia arrive at PMO to meet PM Narendra Modi #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/lWY0o3g4uG

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Modi is only rewarding those who are spreading hatred: Congress spokesperson #CabinetReshuffle https://t.co/95SwpHkJaH

— Firstpost (@firstpost) July 5, 2016

#Cabinet & #CCEA briefing by Union Minister @rsprasad at #NMC, 3.30 pm today pic.twitter.com/YsecblRfEF

— Manish Desai (@DG_PIB) July 5, 2016

NDA allies have been completely ignored: Congress' Randeep Surjewala #CabinetReshuffle https://t.co/95SwpHkJaH pic.twitter.com/S2MRbpndW1

— Firstpost (@firstpost) July 5, 2016

Congress slams Narendra Modi and his choice of new ministers

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala says that NDA allies have been completely ignored as far as the #CabinetReshuffle is concerned.

PM Narendra Modi invites the newly inducted Cabinet Council of Ministers for tea at the PMO 

Delhi: Newly inducted Ministers arrive at PMO to meet PM Narendra Modi #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/Wsz024yoor

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

PM Narendra Modi invites the newly inducted Ministers for tea, Council & Cabinet Mins at the PMO #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/bQjSQkwZ6o

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Faggan Singh Kulaste and the infamous 2008 cash-for-vote scam

BJP’s tribal face Faggan Singh Kulaste, who was inducted as a Minister of State in Union Council of Ministers on Tuesday, is also one of the MPs who was involved in the infamous 2008 cash for votes scam.

During the 2008 cash for votes scam, the government’s success in the 2008 confidence vote was marred when three BJP MPs, Ashok Argal, Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagoda waved bundles of cash which they produced from bags in Parliament during the debate, accusing the UPA government of giving it to them in order to buy their support or abstention in the vote.

The BJP demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the allegations and claimed that they had video evidence of the deals being made.

Eminent personalities tweeted about the #CabinetReshuffle as well

The #ModiCabinet changes fully reflect the Modi-Shah approach to governance purely through expansion of political power. Talent can follow

— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) July 5, 2016

#ModiCabinet
19 new ministers? Super. I always believed that Modi knows how to add minister.

— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) July 5, 2016

If efficiency was criteria, many more ministers would be shown the door and likes of @PiyushGoyal would be cabinet min #CabinetReshuffle

— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) July 5, 2016

Senior BJP ministers congratulate newly-inducted ministers

Congratulations & Best Wishes to all my new colleagues who are now part of #ModiCabinet for #TransformingIndia.

— Najma Heptulla (@nheptulla) July 5, 2016

Warmest congratulations to all the newly inducted Ministers in the #ModiCabinet! pic.twitter.com/Yi8Ho8g0dV

— Jayant Sinha (@jayantsinha) July 5, 2016

Extend heartiest congratulations to young colleagues Shri Ajay Tamta, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, Smt. Krishna Raj on becoming MoS. #ModiCabinet

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) July 5, 2016

Congratulations to @PrakashJavdekar ji on being elevated to the status of a Cabinet Minister.#ModiCabinet

— Syed Shahnawaz Hussain (@ShahnawazBJP) July 5, 2016

My Congratulations & Best wishes to Shri @PrakashJavdekar ji on taking oath as Cabinet Minister #ModiCabinet

— Col Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) July 5, 2016

Congrats & Best Wishes to LS, MP from Darjeeling (WB) Sh S.S.Ahluwalia for being Minster of State in #ModiCabinet pic.twitter.com/u4CSt5sCXx

— कलराज मिश्र (Kalraj Mishra) (@KalrajMishra) July 5, 2016

With an eye on Uttarakhand polls, a dalit leader from Almora Ajay Tamta was inducted into the Council of Ministers.

Ramdas Athalwale, who is the leader of Republican Party of India (RPI-A), an allay of BJP, was also joined the government.

MPs from other states like S S Ahluwalia from Darjeeling in West Bengal, Ramesh Jigajinagi from Bijapur in Karnataka and Rajan Gohain from Nowgong in Assam also became ministers.

All barring Vijay Goel and Faggan Kulaste are new faces while a few have been ministers in BJP-ruled state governments.

Nineteen MPs joined the Narendra Modi government in the second expansion and reshuffle by the PM in little over two years since he took over in May 2014 which saw a number a Dalit and OBC leaders being given ministerial positions.

Three MPs from Uttar Pradesh– Mahendra Nath Pandey, Krishna Raj and Anupriya Singh Patel, elected from Mirzapur, were made ministers. UP goes to polls early next year.

P P Chaudhary, Vijay Goel, who hails from Delhi, Arjun Ram Meghwal and C R Chaudhary, all MPs from Rajasthan, joined the government.

Three faces from Gujarat — Mansukh Mandaviya, Purushottam Rupala and Jaswant Sinh Bhabhor — which goes to polls next year, also got ministerial berths.

Madhya Pradesh MPs — Anil Madhav Dave (Indore), Faggan Kulaste from Mandla and journalist-turned-politician M J Akbar also became ministers.

Four MPs from Rajasthan, three each from UP, MP and Gujarat made ministers

With an eye on the upcoming state polls and to give adequate representation from states where BJP is strong, four MPs from Rajasthan and three MPs each from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat today secured berths in the Narendra Modi government.

Shiv Sena slams Cabinet rejig 

The Shiv Sena slammed the Narendra Modi government and said that all the new faces in the Cabinet are from BJP and not NDA.  

All the faces are from BJP, not NDA. This is a PM's decision: Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena) #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/ij6mSYNqNd

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates new ministers 

Congrats to newly sworn-in colleagues. Lets work together to bring a positive difference & for #TransformingIndia. pic.twitter.com/Xo8naAyd0S

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 5, 2016

Here’s something interesting about Athawale: 

A seasoned Dalit leader and a vocal Ambedkarite, Athawale is the lone Rajya Sabha member of his party, the Republican Party of India, according to India Today. That’s not all. 

Athawale is also an instant poet and can quickly coin a couplet on anything. Sample this:

“Desh mein chal rahi hain Narendra Modi ki Aandhi, Usme Ud Jayenge Sabhi Gandhi”. (There is a Narendra Modi storm across the nation, and it will sweep away all Gandhis) 

Anupriya Patel: An eloquent pro-Modi voice with OBC roots

Anupriya Patel, a first time MP, is an eloquent pro-Modi voice within and outside the Lok Sabha whose OBC roots have positioned her as an important BJP ally in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

However, Apna Dal expelled Anupriya after she took oath as a Cabinet Minister in Narendra Modi government on Tuesday, reports said. Incidentally, Krishna Patel had warned BJP of breaking ties in case Anupriya was included in the council of ministers. Sonelal Patel’s legacy is being claimed by her MP daughter and wife after his death in a road accident.

The 35-year-old Lok Sabha member from Mirzapur in UP won on the ticket of Apna Dal, a party founded by her father and Kurmi leader Sonelal Patel which later split, with the major faction siding with her mother, who expelled her from the party.

The support of BJP, Patel’s associates say, can help her claim the legacy of her father who built Apna Dal’s base among OBCs, primarily his fellow castemen Kurmis. Her inclusion in the Union Council of Ministers is apparently aimed at consolidating backward votes in poll bound UP, especially eastern parts of the state where another tall Kurmi leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been trying to make a foray ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls.

A Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, pass out, she was elected an MLA in 2012 and then entered the Lok Sabha two years later. Anupriya also has Master’s degrees in Psychology and Business Administration. BJP believes that a ministerial berth will give her the stature and gravitas required to work on Kurmi voters, who play an important role in deciding the fate of candidates in some parts of the Hindi heartland state.

Her speeches in the Lower House on various issues have often drawn lavish praise from the treasury benches. Apna Dal has two members in the Lok Sabha, the other being Haribansh Singh, who owes his allegiance to the faction under control of Anupriya’s moter Krishna.

Anupriya was earlier an MLA from Rohaniya constituency in Varanasi. BJP’s plans to project Anupriya as a prominent backward face had become clear with its national President Amit Shah attending the 67th birth anniversary of Sonelal Patel which was observed recently as ‘jan swabhiman rally" in Varanasi.

PTI

PM Narendra Modi invites the newly inducted Ministers for tea at 2:30 PM today #CabinetExpansion

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

SS Ahluwalia was once known as Rajiv Gandhi loyalist
Then he became Narasimha Rao loyalist.
He is now BJP minister.

— Madhavan Narayanan (@madversity) July 5, 2016

Apna Dal expels Anupriya Patel after she takes oath as the minister

SS Ahluwalia was once known as Rajiv Gandhi loyalist
Then he became Narasimha Rao loyalist.
He is now BJP minister.

— Madhavan Narayanan (@madversity) July 5, 2016

Stripped off two key charges earlier, Modi promotes Javadekar to Cabinet rank

​Prakash Javadekar, the lone Minister of State in the Modi government to have been elevated to Cabinet rank, has been rewarded for his work in the Environment Ministry, especially his pro-active role in the climate change talks in Paris. It has been a turnaround for Javadekar, who was earlier stripped off the charge of two key departments of Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs as a Minister of State.

He was included in the Council of Ministers even when he was not an MP and was given the charge of three key departments – Independent charge of Environment Ministry and Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs. A former banker, Javadekar, 65, was a member of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students wing of RSS. During his earlier days, Javadekar organised a Satyagraha against Emergency rule and was also imprisoned for 16 months.

He was elected to Maharashtra Legislative Council twice between 1990 and 2002 before being first elected to Rajya Sabha in 2008. He currently represents Madhya Pradesh in Rajya Sabha. Hailing from Pune, Javadekar, who is a commerce graduate, was one of the most visible faces of BJP on television before the BJP government came to power. He was BJP spokesperson and party’s incharge of Andhra Pradesh at the time of his inclusion in the Council of Ministers.

He was also instrumental in striking a deal with Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP to bring it into the NDA-fold.​

PTI

After dropping five ministers and inducting 19 new faces, Narendra Modi’s new Cabinet stands at 78 Council of Ministers. 

Compared to earlier governments: 

The strength of Manmohan Singh’s UPA-II ministry stood at 78 after its final reshuffle in October 2012 while the previous NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee started with a lean 56-member ministry but was expanded up to nearly 88 ministers. 

With inputs from Kishore Kadam

Apna naam boliye: President Pranab Mukherjee reminds Athawale

Senior Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday forgot to mention his name while taking oath as Minister of State – but was quickly corrected by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Athawale, a Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra, started reading out the oath of office and secrecy , but without saying his name. The President corrected him, saying: “Apna naam boliye (Say your name)". 

Athawale paused for a moment and corrected himself saying “Sorry, sorry” and completed his oath-taking.

As the BJP prepares to face perhaps its most significant electoral test, this cabinet reshuffle is politically the most significant one yet.

While there have been cabinet rejigs on four occasions since May 2014, the game of ministerial musical chairs which took place today is arguably the first of its kind and that it comes ahead of major electoral tests for the ruling party at the Centre, is significant.

Even as Modi attempted to distance himself from hardliners within his political fold in his interview with Times Now, reports indicate that there could be a fresh infusion of ‘fringe’ elements into the cabinet. For starters, Yogi Adityanath, who has been booked for hate speech in Uttar Pradesh, may find his way into the cabinet, as per a report in The New Indian Express. 

Sanjeev Balyan, accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, may also be promoted as a minister with independent charge, a report in 
The Indian Express quoted sources as saying.

Meanwhile, supporters of the new faces in Narendra Modi’s cabinet were celebrating their ministers’ entry in the Union Council of Ministers

Bhopal(MP): Celebration outside Anil M Dave's residence after he was sworn in as Minister of State #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/JEjosVz25I

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Santulan ki rajneeti? Experts say it is the politics of balance

Prakash Javadekar, who held the independent charge of environment, was the lone minister promoted to the cabinet rank while all new inductees took oath as ministers of state.

Today’s exercise underlines BJP’s attempts at wooing dalits and OBCs, whose votes would be crucial to its fortunes in key states like UP and Gujarat.

All barring Vijay Goel and Faggan Kulaste are new faces while a few have been ministers in BJP-ruled state governments.

Ajay Tamta, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Krishna Raj, Ramdas Athawale, Ramesh C Jigaginagi were among the dalit MPs sworn in as ministers by President Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhawan.

19 new ministers of state swearing-in ceremony concludes. Only one minister Prakash Javadekar has been elevated in Modi government. 

Whether portfolios will change hands with induction of 19 new faces, remains to be seen.

Induction of Athawale and Krishna Raj is symbolic

The possible induction of Ramdas Athawale of the Republican Party of India (RPI) from Maharashtra, and Krishna Raj of Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, along with several other names of similar merit is symbolic.

Given the fact that the BSP supremo, Mayawati, commands an unwavering loyalty of 22 percent of Dalits in the state, the BJP has been making desperate overtures to reach out to marginal communities through this symbolism. Athawale can be used to burnish the pro-Dalit credentials of the BJP, which is largely considered as a party representing the interests of dominant castes, particularly the upper castes.

It is a departure from routine and a fresh start, sources were quoted as saying

What is this Cabinet Reshuffle really about?

There is little doubt that Prime Minister Narendra Modi rarely goes by the personal charisma of a leader within the BJP. For him, the cabinet reshuffle is more of an administrative exercise than to uplift his government’s image.

While there have been cabinet rejigs on four occasions since May 2014, the reshuffle is arguably the first of its kind; and that it comes ahead of major electoral tests for the ruling party at the Centre, is significant.

Tuesday’s cabinet expansion and reshuffle would invariable bear the stamp of ‘social engineering’ to accommodate disparate social groups – like the Dalits, Kurmis etc –  particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, states that are poll-bound in January 2017.

Swearing-in ceremony concludes

Subhash Ramrao Bhamre, 62, LS MP from Dhule (Maharashtra)

Another Maratha leader, Bhamre is an oncologist and a practicing doctor. He has studied at the Grant Medical College, JJ Hospital and Tata Cancer Hospital, and is a first time BJP MP.  According to a report in The Free Press Journal, Bhamre a first time BJP MP was elected in the Lok sabha after defeating the congress heavy weight Amrish Patel in the 2014 LS polls. His father Ramrao Patil was a former Congress leader.

PP Chaudhary, 63, Loksabha MP from Pali (Rajasthan) takes oath

A veteran lawyer before joining politics, PP Chaudhary is a Lok sabha MP from Pali, Rajasthan. 

Chaudhary hails from Jodhpur, Rajasthan and belongs the OBC seervi caste. He is a RSS ideologue and says he is a part of the organisation since he was eight years old.  According to a India Today report, Chaudhary has an impressive attendance record in the House and has been awarded the Sansad Ratna award twice in his stint at the Lok sabha. Chaudhari also heads Seervi Mahasabha.

CR Chaudhary takes oath

Chaudhary, a first time MP, has been inducted for his expertise in the field of rural development, with a degree in the subject from the University of Birmingham. He started his career as a lecturer in Barmer and Ajmer, later qualifying for the Rajasthan Administrative Services.

#CabinetExpansion: Jaswant Singh Bhabhor takes oath as Minister at the President's House in Delhi pic.twitter.com/m5pLEpp51l

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

#CabinetExpansion: Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey takes oath as the Minister of State at the President's House in Delhi pic.twitter.com/quPuFdeTYr

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Anupriya Singh Patel, 35, LS MP from Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh) takes oath

Anupriya singh patel is the daughter of the late Sone lal Patel, a Kurmi leader with sufficient clout in Uttar pradesh. She has been an MLA from the Rohaniya constituency in the 2012 elections. Anupriya is the leader of the Apna Dal, which she merged with allying BJP in the 2014 Lok sabh polls. The BJP is eyeing to sway the Kurmi votes in its favour in the upcoming UP state elections. The Kurmis are a sizeable community in the eastern belt of Uttar pradesh.

Krishna Raj, 49, LS MP from Shahjahanpur (UP) takes oath

A first time MP, Krishna is a Dalit leader from Uttar Pradesh. She has also been a two termm MLA from Uttar pradesh

Lok Sabha MP from Almora Ajay Tamta takes oath. https://t.co/YR7NXdp2LJ #CabinetReshuffle pic.twitter.com/kwAC73JSFh

— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) July 5, 2016

Ajay Tamta, 43, Lok Sabha MP from Almora (Uttarakhand) takes oath

Tamte is also a tribal leader from the hill state of Uttarakhand. His inclusion in the cabinet is seen as an attempt by the BJP to broaden its base among the SC ST community in Uttarakhand. This is Tamte’s first term in Lok sabha but he has been a two time legislator in the BJP govt in Uttarakhand.

A few ministers will have to resign

A few ministers in PM Modi’s council will have to resign to make way for the new entrants since constitutionally, the council can have only 82. It currently has 66 ministers including the Prime Minister and, sources said, six ministers could be dropped.

Mahendra Nath Pandey takes oath

Ahead of Uttar Pradesh elections, Pandey’s inclusion is a message to the state’s sizeable Brahmin population, reported Business Standard. Pandey holds a doctorate from the Banaras Hindu University. He is a two-term BJP MLA and a first term MP.

Jasvant Sinh Bhabhor takes oath

Jasvant Sinh Bhabor, a tribal leader, had been a part of Modi’s cabinet when he was the chief minister of Gujarat and has handelled several portfolios including the tribal affairs and environment ministry. A five time legislator, Bhabhor has been elected as an MP for the first time. According to the BJP website he is a social worker.

Sources said all those inducted today will be junior ministers or ministers of state and not of cabinet rank, though some may be given independent charge of their ministries. There will be no change in the top four portfolios – Defence, Home, Finance and External Affairs, they said.

Arjun Ram Meghwal gets inducted

Arjun Ram Meghwal, 65, is a Lok Sabha MP from Bikaner, Rajasthan. A retired Indian Administrative Service officer of the Rajasthan cadre, Meghwal is currently the BJP chief whip in the Lok Sabha. Meghwal has raised the issue of manual scavenging persistently, reported Business  Standard. He is also a passionate crusader for increased use of local languages.

MJ Akbar inducted as Cabinet Minister in the Modi government

Veteran journalist MJ Akbar, 65, is a Rajya Sabha MP form Madhya Pradesh. He was the editor of  The Telegraph and The Asian Age. According to Business Standard report, Akbar was part of Rajiv Gandhi’s inner circle. He was elected from Kishanganj in Bihar on a Congress ticket in 1989. Akbar joined the BJP ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Parshottam Rupala takes oath as Cabinet Minister. 

Considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Parshottam Rupala, 64 is a Rajya sabha MP from Gujarat. 

When Modi was the chief Minister of Gujarat, Rupala was a minister for agriculture. This is his second term as a Rajya Sabha member.

Meanwhile, this tweet: 

Ramdas Athavale takes oath as minister of what? pic.twitter.com/2fYESVlz7U

— Venkat Ananth (@venkatananth) July 5, 2016

Anil Madhav Dave takes oath. 

Anil Dave, 59, is a Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh. He is an environmentalist, having written several books on the subject.

Dave earned much praise as the head of the Parliamentary committee on the Real Estate Bill. According to Business Standard, he was an influential figure when Uma Bharti was the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh and was said to run the government. He has been a Rajya Sabha MP since 2009.

BJP Lok Sabha MP from Assam Rajen Gohain gets inducted in the Cabinet of Ministers

Athawale takes oath as Cabinet Minister

Athawale is his party’s lone member in the Rajya Sabha. He is a well known Dalit leader of Maharashtra and has been a minister in the Congress-led governments in his state. Athawale was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 and then again in 1999 and 2004.

Ramdas Athawale forgets to say his name before taking oath! 

President Pranab Mukherjee reminds minister to say his name first. “Naam boliye.”

BJP LS MP from Rajasthan Vijay Goel takes oath as Cabinet Minister. Goel is one of BJP’s topmost leaders in Delhi. He started off as a student leader and was detained during the Emergency. 

#CabinetExpansion: Prakash Javadekar takes oath as Cabinet Minister at the Rashtrapati Bhavan pic.twitter.com/5hKOpg7XEi

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Delhi: #CabinetExpansion: Fagan Khulaste takes oath as Cabinet Minister at the President's House pic.twitter.com/qHGlu3q9MM

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Delhi: #CabinetExpansion : Ramesh Jigajinagi takes oath as Minister in presence of President Pranab Mukherjee pic.twitter.com/JJsmnsO2JT

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

#CabinetExpansion: SS Ahluwalia takes oath as Minister at the President's House in Delhi pic.twitter.com/wgD15TaHP3

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

BJP Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi takes oath as Cabinet Minister

BJP Lok Sabha MP from West Bengal SS Ahluwalia takes oath as Cabinet Minister. 

PM @narendramodi is at the oath taking ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. @RashtrapatiBhvn

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2016

Finance minister Arun Jaitley may give up the critical Information and Broadcasting ministry, as PM Modi wants to reduce his workload, sources told NDTV. Mr Jaitley heads three major ministries.

Ramdas Athawale, the Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra, said he was proud to fulfil BR Ambedkar’s dream of upliftment of Dalits and the poor.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar inducted in the Council of Ministers.

I look forward to welcome new colleagues.Our Govt. shall strengthen from Experience, Expertise and Energy. #cabinetreshuffle

— Dr. Mahesh Sharma (@dr_maheshsharma) July 5, 2016

President Pranab Mukherjee reaches Durbar Hall.

PM Narendra Modi is seen flanked by BJP chief Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 

#CabinetExpansion: Visuals of oath taking ceremony from President's House,Newly inducted Mins to take oath shortly pic.twitter.com/d5FXf3MjTv

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

According to reports on TV, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 

President Pranab Mukherjee is expected to arrive soon and the Cabinet expansion is likely to begin then.

According to TV reports, portfolios of the new ministers will be announced after council of ministers meet at around 2 pm today.

The Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj also tweeeted

I am unable to attend the swearing in ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhawan since I have a meeting with Foreign Minister of Hungary. /1

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 5, 2016

I congratulate and welcome all my colleagues joining the Council of Ministers. /2

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 5, 2016

Sushma fires salvo at media

The Cabinet reshuffle and expansion exercise will not be attended by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as she would be meeting the Foreign Minister of Hungary.

“I am unable to attend the swearing in ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhawan since I have a meeting with Foreign Minister of Hungary,” Sushma Swaraj tweeted. “I congratulate and welcome all my colleagues joining the Council of Ministers,” she said.

Sushma Swaraj went on to advice media, “Media – Pl avoid the headline: Sushma skips Oath Ceremony’.”

Media - Pl avoid the headline : 'Sushma skips Oath Ceremony'.

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 5, 2016

BJP’s political strategy in Uttar Pradesh is strongly focussed on weaning Dalit castes outside BSP chief Mayawati’s core constituency of Jatavs with early opinion polls pointing to a close race between BJP, BSP and the Akhilesh Yadav-led ruling Samajwadi Party.

The saffron party calculates that its upper caste support will recognise the need to pull in dalit and the less well off backward castes for BJP to pose a serious challenge to BSP and SP’s caste based mobilisation.

Ram S Katheria out

The expansion is expected to be accompanied by some exits with MoS Ram Shankar Katheria, Nihal Chand, Sanwar Lal Jat, Mansukh Vasava, Mohan Kundaria and G M Siddheshwara likely to be dropped. A few of those who are on their way out, especially Katheria, may be drafted in the BJP organisation which is due for a recast.

I have given few(controversial) statements but in limits but if that is what the party thinks then it is a lesson for me: Ram S Katheria,BJP

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

WATCH: Arjun Ram Meghwal leaves for President's House on a cycle, to be inducted in Cabinet today #CabinetExpansionhttps://t.co/3xulbxsGIu

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Cycling to induction?

Delhi: Mansukh Mandaviya & Arjun Meghwal leave for President's House on a cycle,will be inducted in #Cabinet,today pic.twitter.com/F1dFGALj2I

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Shiv Sena MP and Union minister Anant Geete to attend the oath-taking ceremony of newly inducted ministers.

Proud.Aim to fulfil B.R.Ambedkar's dream of upliftment of Dalits&poor- Ramdas Athawale(RS MP,Maha) #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/S17Oqp5Yxs

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Bring in doers and performers: Modi

Sources said PM Narendra Modi laid down the selection procedure “to bring in doers and performers who would deliver on his vision of development and good governance, and further his central priority of gaon (villages), garib (poor) and kisan (farmers).

“New ministers were identified from various walks of life to bring to bear their unique rich experience and expertise to their office,” sources said.

Selection of the New Nineteen

The 19 leaders who will take oath today as new ministers at the Centre, were picked after an exhaustive vetting and selection process to find the best talent, sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the expansion of his council of ministers will reflect “budget focus and priorities”.

Sources said leaders were assessed for the value they would bring to the council of ministers and asserted that today’s expansion marks a firm departure from the usual routine of frequent changes based on caste, religion and other political considerations, though the list reveals a deft political balance.

Sources said the framework set out by the Prime Minister aims to select “doers and performers” who can be expected to deliver on his vision of development and good governance that has a “gaon, garib, kisan (village, poor, farmer)” focus.

The ministers to be sworn in include five from the Scheduled Castes, two from the Scheduled Tribes, two from the minorities and two women leaders. They hail from UP, Rajas than, Gujarat, Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Assam.

I am proud that I will be a part of the development vision of PM Modi: Mansukh L Mandaviya

Mandaviya is from the Patel community. His inclusion in the cabinet is a message to the community in Gujarat, which has been demanding job quotas and the BJP is seemingly losing its supporters among the community. 

Govt hs given me such a big responsibility,will try to fulfill it-Krishna Raj (MP,Shahjahanpur,UP) #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/nvzTr8S7ha

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 5, 2016

Very happy,always wanted to do good things for ppl-Ramesh Jigajinagi(BJP MP, Bijapur Constituency) #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/jYlOY6T1mV

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Whatever responsibility I get,will fulfil it to best of my ability: FS Kulaste (BJP MP,Mandla,MP) #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/Cmr4J0NX2h

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Have received letter stating that I'll be inducted in Modi ji's Cabinet. Very happy: PP Choudhary #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/aLyX6omIF7

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

I am proud that I will be a part of the development vision of PM Modi: Mansukh L Mandaviya #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/99rtH3Uk3R

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Ministers get ready for Cabinet Expansion

Whatever responsibility is given by party,will strive to fulfill it- MN Pandey (MP from Chandauli) #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/VNP6R63wHn

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Delhi: Arjun Ram Meghwal meets supporters at his residence ahead of his induction in Cabinet #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/r7vDDvEQCT

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Will fulfil all the responsibility given to us by party- CR Choudhary (MP from Nagaur, Rajasthan) #CabinetExpansion pic.twitter.com/Zrc18dY6dL

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2016

Cabinet reshuffle to start at 11 am at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will expand his Council of Ministers and reshuffle the Union Cabinet and 19 new ministers are expected to be sworn in at the majestic Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan at 11 am. 

However, the Prime Minister is keeping the contours of his Cabinet a secret. Sources have said that the 19 ministers will be Ministers of State and not of Cabinet rank. Top sources also said there won’t be any change in the top four ministers on Raisina Hill – Defence, Home, Finance and External Affairs.