Modi Cabinet reshuffle: Venkaiah Naidu gets I&B ministry too

New Delhi: M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday was named as the information and broadcasting ministry in addition to the portfolio he already holds, the urban development ministry.

Mr Naidu, known for his “puns”, remains a leading voice for the government in Parliament. The I&B ministry was earlier with Union finance minister Arun Jaitley who also held it as an additional charge.

Counted among the successful BJP presidents and a man also known for his articulation, he has always been a leading face of the BJP and the government.
With the Narendra Modi government’s “good governance” not getting due publicity, the Prime Minister decided to hand over responsibility to Mr Naidu.

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He will take charge on Wednesday. He has always been one of the most astute leaders and an inspiring orator who led the party from the front as its president. Mr Naidu is expected to hold regular interactions with the media and also take the message of the Modi government’s pro-poor policies to the masses.  

He has already served with distinction as parliamentary affairs minister when he had the task of managing numbers in the Rajya Sabha where the BJP is not in a majority. The senior leader was able to seek the support of all Opposition parties on major issues and bills tabled by the Modi government.

Sources said that Mr Naidu’s vast political experience would be helpful in a sensitive ministry like information and broadcasting. Through this move the government hopes to ensure that the benefits of the pro-poor policies being implemented by the Modi government are brought to the notice of the common man.

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His appointment is also significant as the BJP hopes to do well in the forthcoming Assembly polls in India,  most importantly in Uttar Pradesh where polls are due early next year. After Mr Naidu takes charge, the media strategy of the Narendra Modi government is expected to undergo a major overhaul.