Jaitley, Swaraj, four other prominent names won't be part of Modi cabinet

NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet were sworn in on Thursday by President Ram Nath Kovind, several high-profile ministers from the previous government were left out of the line-up.

Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who said he had faced "some serious health challenges" in the last 18 months, had written to PM Modi that he will "not be part of any responsibility, for the present, in the new

Sushma Swaraj, who was External Affairs minister in the previous government, was seen taking a seat in the audience at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oath ceremony Thursday, an indication that the veteran leader will sit out of a BJP government for the first time. The 67-year-old was one of the most popular ministers on social media and was acknowledged for her quick response to SOS and calls for assistance on Twitter. Even banal or joking requests drew a response from Sushma Swaraj.

Olympian Rajyavardhan Rathore is one of the most prominent exclusions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, which has a mix of old and new faces. Rathore, a former Colonel in the army, is a BJP parliamentarian from Rajasthan who won a second term.

Maneka Gandhi will be the pro-tem or interim Speaker of the Lok Sabha instead of minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government.

Jayant Sinha, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation in the previous government, did not get a cabinet berth this time. Sinha's father Yashwant Sinha is a former BJP leader who has lately been a vocal critic of the party's policies.

Jagat Prakash Nadda, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, is also among the ministers who did not make it to the union cabinet this time.