"Modi Takes Oath for Third Term: Smriti Irani, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and Anurag Singh Thakur Absent from Cabinet Lineup"

Modi Cabinet 3.0: Changes and New Faces

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on his historic third term today, significant changes marked the composition of his cabinet. Notable BJP leaders such as Smriti Irani, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and Anurag Singh Thakur have been excluded from the new lineup. The newly inducted Council of Ministers now comprises 72 members, featuring prominent figures like Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, S. Jaishankar, Nitin Gadkari, and Ashwini Vaishnaw, showcasing a blend of seasoned expertise and fresh leadership.

Several prominent leaders have been excluded from the latest cabinet reshuffle. This includes Nisith Pramanik, Ajay Mishra Teni, Bharti Pawar, Ashwini Choubey, Bhagwat Karat, and Arjun Munda. Additionally, Gen VK Singh and Meenakshi Lekhi, who served in the Modi 2.0 government, did not receive tickets for this round.

Smriti Irani, formerly the Minister of Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, faced a significant defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, losing her seat in Amethi to KL Sharma of the Congress. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who lost his bid against Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram, is also missing from the new cabinet lineup. He previously held the position of Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology from July 2021 to June 2024.

Anurag Singh Thakur, re-elected for a record fifth term from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, previously served as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting and the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Arjun Munda, a prominent tribal leader, was the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and the Minister of Tribal Affairs. He took over the agriculture portfolio from Narendra Singh Tomar in December 2023. However, in the general elections, Munda was defeated by Congress leader Kali Charan Munda in Khunti.

Nisith Pramanik, who was the Minister of State for Home Affairs from July 2021 to June 2024, lost his seat in Cooch Behar to TMC's Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia and has been excluded from the new ministry.

Ajay Mishra Teni, who faced scrutiny over his involvement in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence during the farmers' protest, has also been dropped from the ministry. He lost his Lok Sabha seat to Samajwadi Party’s Utkarsh Verma. Teni previously served as the Minister of State for Home Affairs in the Modi 2.0 government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, poised to begin his third consecutive term, plans to retain most of his top ministers from the previous administration in his new Cabinet. Key figures like Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, and S. Jaishankar, who were integral members of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) since 2019, are expected to continue in their crucial roles.

Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, and S. Jaishankar, who were responsible for the home, defence, finance, and external affairs ministries in the previous administration, will continue in their roles and are set to be sworn in today. This evening, over 69 ministers are expected to take the oath, with the highest representation from Uttar Pradesh (9 ministers) and Bihar (8 ministers).

In addition to these key figures, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Bhupendra Yadav, and Mansukh Mandaviya are anticipated to remain part of the Modi 3.0 cabinet. Nitin Gadkari is celebrated for his significant improvements to the nation's road and highway infrastructure, while Ashwini Vaishnaw is steering India's bold semiconductor strategy.

BJP National President J.P. Nadda, whose term concludes this month, is also expected to join the Modi Cabinet. Previously, Nadda served as the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare during the government's first term.

Among the 69 ministers taking the oath today are Bhupender Yadav, Pralhad Joshi, Giriraj Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Jitendra Singh. Bhupender Yadav, who previously held the position of Minister of Labour and Employment, and Pralhad Joshi, the former Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, are returning. Arjun Ram Meghwal, who served as Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, is also included in this distinguished group.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has secured another term, accompanied by a robust Council of Ministers. His new council comprises 72 ministers, including 11 from National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners. These allies include Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) (JDU), Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and several others.