As the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA embarks on its third term, the Cabinet formation highlights a strategic emphasis on continuity by retaining several key ministers. This decision underscores the party’s confidence in these leaders’ previous performances at the Centre.
Amit Shah (Home), Rajnath Singh (Defence), Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance), and S. Jaishankar (External Affairs) have retained their portfolios in Prime Minister Modi’s third term.
Ashwini Vaishnaw continues as the Union Minister for Railways and Electronics & Information Technology. He has also taken over the Information and Broadcasting Ministry from Anurag Thakur.
With a continued focus on highways and road infrastructure projects, Nitin Gadkari has been reappointed as the Union Minister for the third consecutive term.
Jitendra Singh remains the Minister of State (MoS) in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, a position he has held since 2014.
Piyush Goyal retains his role as the Minister of Commerce and Industries.
In addition to these retentions, there have been notable changes in the Cabinet. Pralhad Joshi, formerly the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, now heads the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry, while Kiren Rijiju takes over as the new Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.
Mansukh Mandaviya, who previously held the Health portfolio, is now the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports. BJP chief JP Nadda succeeds him as the Minister of Health and Family Welfare.
Also Read | Modi 3.0 Cabinet Unveiled: Key Allies Secure Major Ministerial Roles
Jyotiraditya Scindia has moved from the Civil Aviation Ministry to become the Union Minister of Communications.
The Civil Aviation Ministry has been entrusted to the BJP’s ally, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), with TDP leader Rammohan Naidu appointed as the new Minister of Civil Aviation.
Among the new faces in the Cabinet are former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, and LJP (Ram-Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan. Chouhan takes on the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare portfolio, Kumaraswamy is appointed as the Union Minister of Heavy Industries, and Paswan assumes charge as the Minister of Food Processing Industries.
G. Kishan Reddy has been assigned to the Ministry of Coal and Mines, HAM founder Jitan Ram Manjhi will lead the MSME Ministry, and Janata Dal (United) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh, popularly known as Lalan Singh, is the new Minister of Panchayati Raj, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying.