Modi cabinet gratifies allies; SAD, TDP & Sena get one berth each

New Delhi: Breaking from traditon, Narendra Modi almost completely marginalised the old guard, that includes L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. While Mr Advani is all set to continue as NDA chairman, Dr Joshi might be in the race for Speaker of the Lok Sabha, along with Karia Munda and Sumitra Mahajan.

Eyebrows were, however, raised as Ms Najma Heptullah tripped frontrunner Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi for a Cabinet slot. Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who defeated Lalu Prasad Yadav’s wife Rabri Devi from Bihar, found himself left out.

Mr Modi tried to keep the NDA allies in good humour by giving them a Cabinet berth each. The TD’s Ashok Gajapathi Raju, the Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal and the Shiv Sena’s Anant Geete were made Cabinet ministers. Former BJP president M. Venkaiah Naidu is expected to get the urban development ministry, as well as the crucial charge of parliamentary affairs, while Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad is tipped to head the communications ministry, as well as handle law and justice. A surprise inclusion in the Cabinet was Smriti Irani, who took on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, but was defeated in the polls.

Other first-timers as MoS bag the information and broadcasting ministry. Following the stunning electoral victory in UP where the BJP and its Apna Dal ally bagged 73 of 80 LS  berths, the state got the highest representation in the Modi government. Its Cabinet ministers include BJP chief and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh, former Madhya Pradesh CM and Jhansi MP Uma Bharti, former UP minister and Deoria MP Kalraj Mishra and former Union minister and Pilibhit MP Maneka Gandhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also represent UP.  

Maharashtra came in second, with six ministers in the government, including BJP chief and Nagpur MP Nitin Gadkari, former Maharashtra deputy CM and Beed MP Gopinath Munde and Shiv Sena leader and Raigad MP Anant Geete among Cabinet ministers. Those from the western state in Parliament among ministers of state were BJP spokesman  Prakash Javadekar, party treasurer and Rajya Sabha MP Piyush Goyal and Maharashtra BJP MP Raosaheb Dadarao Danve.

Harayana also got two MoS independent charge posts. Nihal Chand was sworn in as a minister of state. It was being claimed that Mr Modi would go in for an expansion to accommodate more ministers from Rajasthan. Madhya Pradesh got four berths which include Sushma Swaraj, Thawar Chand Ghelot, Najma Heptullah and Narendra Singh Tomar.