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Considerations of merit, caste equations in States crucial to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and representation of various regions seem to have weighed on Prime Minister Narendra Modi while expanding the Union Council of Ministers on Sunday, five months after it was formed. Former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is the new Defence Minister while Suresh Prabhu, who joined the BJP only on Sunday, is the new Railway Minister. D.B. Sadananda Gowda has been shifted to Law. J.P. Nadda is the new Health Minister. Mr. Jaitley has been given additional charge of Information and Broadcasting, while Prakash Javdekar has retained Environment.
President Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office to 21 new Ministers, including four Cabinet Ministers, three Ministers of State with independent charge and 14 Ministers of State. Making the council more representative geographically and socially, the exercise is expected to stabilise the BJP’s internal politics.
Fresh inductions to the Union Council of Ministers on Sunday clearly indicated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s nervousness that the resentment among particular social groups may adversely affect the party.
Several social groups that supported the BJP in the Parliament election have been annoyed at being excluded from power sharing. Brahmins in Uttar Pradesh, Rajputs and Bhumihars in Bihar, Jats in Haryana and Rajasthan have been offered an olive branch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, by inducting their representatives. Three recent entrants into the party have joined the Ministry. Suresh Prabhu, who joined the BJP on Sunday morning was a Union Minister as a Shiv Sena representative earlier; Birender Singh crossed over from the Congress before the Lok Sabha election and Ram Kripal Yadav was a confidant of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav earlier. The only woman among the new inductees is Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, MP from Fatehpur in U.P.
Modi balances caste, merit - The Hindu
Two Dalits ministers were added to the team in a bid to counter the perception that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is associated with upper and intermediate castes. This takes the number of Dalits in the council to five. However, representation of Muslims, women and the South remains limited in the team.
President Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office to 21 new Ministers, including four Cabinet Ministers, three Ministers of State with independent charge and 14 Ministers of State. Making the council more representative geographically and socially, the exercise is expected to stabilise the BJP’s internal politics.
Fresh inductions to the Union Council of Ministers on Sunday clearly indicated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s nervousness that the resentment among particular social groups may adversely affect the party.
Several social groups that supported the BJP in the Parliament election have been annoyed at being excluded from power sharing. Brahmins in Uttar Pradesh, Rajputs and Bhumihars in Bihar, Jats in Haryana and Rajasthan have been offered an olive branch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, by inducting their representatives. Three recent entrants into the party have joined the Ministry. Suresh Prabhu, who joined the BJP on Sunday morning was a Union Minister as a Shiv Sena representative earlier; Birender Singh crossed over from the Congress before the Lok Sabha election and Ram Kripal Yadav was a confidant of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav earlier. The only woman among the new inductees is Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, MP from Fatehpur in U.P.
Modi balances caste, merit - The Hindu
Two Dalits ministers were added to the team in a bid to counter the perception that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is associated with upper and intermediate castes. This takes the number of Dalits in the council to five. However, representation of Muslims, women and the South remains limited in the team.
