PM Modi keeps his core team intact, allies given key roles in governance

New Delhi: In a move that underscores stability, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained the leadership of Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, and S Jaishankar over the Home, Defence, Finance, and External Affairs ministries, respectively, in the newly formed government.

These four ministers constitute the pivotal Cabinet Committee on Security, which is presided over by the prime minister.

The Union Cabinet welcomes new members, including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the ex-chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, who takes on the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministries. BJP president J P Nadda rejoins the Health Ministry, a role he previously held before becoming the working president in 2019 and subsequently the president of the party in 2020.

Nitin Gadkari, lauded for his contributions to the national highway network, continues as the head of the Road Transport and Highways Ministry. Manohar Lal Khattar, the former Chief Minister of Haryana, is tasked with the Housing and Urban Affairs, and Power Ministries.

Ashwini Vaishnaw, who has made a name for himself overseeing the Railways, and Electronics and Information Technology ministries, retains his responsibilities and also takes on the significant role of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Dharmendra Pradhan and Piyush Goyal remain at the helm of the Education, and Commerce and Industry ministries, respectively. Hardeep Singh Puri holds onto the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry while relinquishing the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.

As per President Droupadi Murmu’s direction, based on Modi’s advice, portfolios have been assigned to 72 members of the Union Council of Ministers, including the prime minister.

The BJP has kept control of most key ministries that are integral to the government’s flagship initiatives, while allocating a few to allies, notably the TDP and JD(U), which have received the Civil Aviation, and Panchayati Raj Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying ministries, respectively.

Kiren Rijiju transitions from Earth Sciences to the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, Arjun Ram Meghwal continues as Law Minister, and Sarbananda Sonowal maintains his position over the Shipping portfolio. Bhupender Yadav remains in charge of the Environment Ministry.

From the BJP’s allied parties in the Union Cabinet, JD(Secular)’s H D Kumaraswamy has been given the Heavy Industries, and Steel ministries. Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM-Secular oversees the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry, and Lalan Singh of Janata Dal-United manages the Panchayati Raj, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Ministries.

TDP’s K Rammohan Naidu is now at the forefront of the Civil Aviation Ministry, and LJP (Ram Vilas) representative Chirag Paswan has taken up the Food Processing Industries Ministry.

C R Patil of the BJP has been appointed to the Jal Shakti Ministry, and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who served in the previous term, is now the Culture and Tourism Minister.

Amit Shah continues to oversee the Cooperation Ministry, and Sitharaman remains in charge of Corporate Affairs.

Virendra Kumar holds onto the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, with Jual Oram stepping in as the new Tribal Affairs Minister.

Pralhad Joshi, previously responsible for Coal and Mines, and Parliamentary Affairs, now leads the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy Ministries. G Kishan Reddy takes over the Coal and Mines Ministry.

Giriraj Singh transitions from the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Ministries to Textiles, while Jyotiraditya Scindia, the erstwhile aviation minister, now manages Communications, and Development of North Eastern Region Ministries.

Annapurna Devi assumes the role of Women and Child Development Minister.

In the Ministers of State with Independent Charge, BJP ally and RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary is allocated the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry, and Shiv Sena’s Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao takes charge of the Ayush Ministry.

Following the swearing-in of his government on Sunday, Modi convened the first Cabinet meeting, reassuring his ministers that they would largely retain their current roles.