Narendra Modi took the oath as the Prime Minister of India for the second consecutive term amidst loud cries of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ on May 30. With him, the dazzling event saw swearing-in of 58 ministers. On May 31, the ministers were allocated different portfolios.
Here are some more pictures from the swearing-in ceremony. Grateful for everyone’s blessings.
The occasion was made even more special by the participation of esteemed world leaders. I thank them for being a part of today’s programme. pic.twitter.com/5EA5SBiizp
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 30, 2019
There have been some surprise inclusions and a few unexpected exclusions in the list of ministers
Winners:
- Amit Shah: Modi’s right hand and BJP’s party president Amit Shah, assumed a cabinet post for the first time. Shah is the new Home Minister in Modi government 2.0. He is widely credited as the mastermind behind the party’s victory not just in 2019, but in 2014 as well. He has held the Home portfolio in Gujarat government when PM Modi was the Chief Minister of the state. Amit Shah takes the mantle from Rajnath Singh who will now handle the Defence Ministry.
- S Jaishankar: The former foreign secretary S Jaishankar has been handed over the portfolio of the Minister of External Affairs. His appointment has come as a surprise to many. He is being touted as the ‘intellectual face’ of the present government. Jaishankar is India’s leading strategist, having played a key role in negotiating the Indo-US nuclear deal. He has previously served as India’s ambassador to the USA and China.
The Exclusions:
- Sushma Swaraj: As the External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj was widely appreciated for her ‘digital diplomacy’. She made extensive use of the social media platform to connect to citizens and was a favourite of the Twitterati. Swaraj cited health reasons for not contesting the 2019 general elections.
- Rajyavardhan Rathore: Former Indian Army officer and Olympic medal winner’s exclusion from the list came as a surprise. He held the portfolio for the Ministry of State for Sports and Games, along with that of Information and Broadcasting. He played a major role in pushing programmes like Khelo India. It is being speculated that Rathore’s exclusion, is to shift the weight of BJP’s Rajasthan unit on his shoulder. Rathore contested and won from Jaipur (rural) seat in the 2019 elections.
- Suresh Prabhu: Suresh Prabhu who held key portfolios like Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation has been dropped from the cabinet. He previously held the railway ministry but was shifted to Commerce and Industry following multiple railway accidents. He has been a key player in the Modi government, closely monitoring flagship programmes like regional connectivity scheme (RCS).
- JP Nadda: Former Health Minister JP Nadda’s name was also dropped from the government. He is known for his low-profile. Nadda played a key role in furthering Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship programmes including Ayushman Bharat, the health-insurance scheme of the government. He is touted to become the next BJP party president replacing Amit Shah.
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