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In a veiled attack on the BJP, days after its thumping Lok Sabha poll win, DMK president M K Stalin Saturday said a situation has now emerged that warranted his party's secularism plank to be pitched in other Indian states.

The nation has been prompted to "look south" for DMK's Parliamentary election strategy that "saved" Tamil Nadu from the "cruel hands of communal forces," he said.

In an open letter to party workers, Stalin took pride on his party taking the third top slot (23 seats) in the Lok Sabha polls after the BJP (303) and Congress (52).

While the DMK-led front won 37 of the 38 seats in the state, the AIADMK could win only the Theni constituency. The election was cancelled in Vellore segment following allegations of corruption.

"A situation has now emerged that necessitates DMK's plank of secularism in other Indian states as well," he said.

The DMK chief also batted for pitching secularism for containing the saffron party and winning polls.

Stalin, during the run-up to the polls in Tamil Nadu, had christened the combine led by him as "Secular Progressive Alliance." The Congress party, Left parties, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Indian Union Muslim League were among the SPA constituents.

Stalin said devising a poll strategy whenever the nation's democratic and pluralistic values were threatened was the "political dharma" of his father and the party's deceased patriarch M Karunanidhi.

Following the late leader's "political dharma", the DMK has posted a massive victory and this has "amazed the north, united the south and astounded the whole country", he said.

The DMK chief exhorted his party cadre to take part in the birth anniversary celebrations of Karunanidhi here on June 3 to "thank the great leader (Karunanidhi) who gave us the strategy for victory and the people who made us win."

He asked party workers and leaders to observe "June as Kalaignar's (Karunanidhi) month," and hold events through the month in commemoration of the late stalwart.

Karunanidhi passed away in August last year.

Meanwhile, the DMK mouthpiece "Murasoli," (in an editorial on Saturday) has again urged Congress President Rahul Gandhi to take back his offer to step down from the top party post.

Rahul's move to quit will neither be seconded by the "historic Congress party" nor by the people of India due to their love and affection for the Nehru-Gandhi family, the Dravidian party daily said.

The DMK organ on May 31 had likened Rahul Gandhi to Jawaharlal Nehru for his liberal ideological moorings that went beyond just electoral politics and asserted that the Congress needed a "broad-minded person" like him.&nbsp;

In a veiled attack on the BJP, days after its thumping Lok Sabha poll win, DMK president M K Stalin Saturday said a situation has now emerged that warranted his party's secularism plank to be pitched in other Indian states.

In a veiled attack on the BJP, days after its thumping Lok Sabha poll win, DMK president M K Stalin Saturday said a situation has now emerged that warranted his party's secularism plank to be pitched in other Indian states. The nation has been prompted to "look south" for DMK's Parliamentary election strategy that "saved" Tamil Nadu from the "cruel hands of communal forces," he said. In an open letter to party workers, Stalin took pride on his party taking the third top slot (23 seats) in the Lok Sabha polls after the BJP (303) and Congress (52). While the DMK-led front won 37 of the 38 seats in the state, the AIADMK could win only the Theni constituency. The election was cancelled in Vellore segment following allegations of corruption. "A situation has now emerged that necessitates DMK's plank of secularism in other Indian states as well," he said. The DMK chief also batted for pitching secularism for containing the saffron party and winning polls. Stalin, during the run-up to the polls in Tamil Nadu, had christened the combine led by him as "Secular Progressive Alliance." The Congress party, Left parties, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Indian Union Muslim League were among the SPA constituents. Stalin said devising a poll strategy whenever the nation's democratic and pluralistic values were threatened was the "political dharma" of his father and the party's deceased patriarch M Karunanidhi. Following the late leader's "political dharma", the DMK has posted a massive victory and this has "amazed the north, united the south and astounded the whole country", he said. The DMK chief exhorted his party cadre to take part in the birth anniversary celebrations of Karunanidhi here on June 3 to "thank the great leader (Karunanidhi) who gave us the strategy for victory and the people who made us win." He asked party workers and leaders to observe "June as Kalaignar's (Karunanidhi) month," and hold events through the month in commemoration of the late stalwart. Karunanidhi passed away in August last year. Meanwhile, the DMK mouthpiece "Murasoli," (in an editorial on Saturday) has again urged Congress President Rahul Gandhi to take back his offer to step down from the top party post. Rahul's move to quit will neither be seconded by the "historic Congress party" nor by the people of India due to their love and affection for the Nehru-Gandhi family, the Dravidian party daily said. The DMK organ on May 31 had likened Rahul Gandhi to Jawaharlal Nehru for his liberal ideological moorings that went beyond just electoral politics and asserted that the Congress needed a "broad-minded person" like him.

DMK's secularism plank needs to be pitched in other Indian states: Stalin

Asserting that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/wont-stake-claim-in-lok-sabha-for-leader-of-opposition-congress-223378">52 newly-elected Congress MPs</a> will work like "a pride of brave-hearted lions", Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that his party will continue to work "fearlessly" and that the BJP cannot have a "walk over" in parliament.

"The Congress Party may have just 52 Lok Sabha members but we will work together like a pride of brave-hearted lions to protect our Constitution and institutions and to fearlessly do our duty as the leading Opposition party. The BJP will have no walkover in Parliament," tweeted Rahul Gandhi.

Congress has secured a meagre 52 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats in the recent elections.

Watch: Sonia Gandhi elected as the leader of Congress Parliamentary Party

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/sonia-gandhi-elected-as-the-leader-of-congress-parliamentary-party-223329/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party, Rahul Gandhi said that Congress'&nbsp;ideological battle with the BJP will continue.

"Every Congress member must remember that each one of you is fighting for the Constitution, for every person in India irrespective of the colour of his skin or belief," Rahul was quoted as saying by party spokesperson Rajdeep Singh Surjewala.

At a meeting of the Congress Working Committee last week, Rahul had last week offered to resign from the post of Congress President accepting responsibility for the defeat in the elections but CWC has rejected it.

Asserting that the 52 newly-elected Congress MPs will work like "a pride of brave-hearted lions", Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that his party will continue to work "fearlessly" and that the BJP cannot have a "walk over" in parliament.

Asserting that the 52 newly-elected Congress MPs will work like "a pride of brave-hearted lions", Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that his party will continue to work "fearlessly" and that the BJP cannot have a "walk over" in parliament. "The Congress Party may have just 52 Lok Sabha members but we will work together like a pride of brave-hearted lions to protect our Constitution and institutions and to fearlessly do our duty as the leading Opposition party. The BJP will have no walkover in Parliament," tweeted Rahul Gandhi. Congress has secured a meagre 52 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats in the recent elections. Watch: Sonia Gandhi elected as the leader of Congress Parliamentary Party Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party, Rahul Gandhi said that Congress' ideological battle with the BJP will continue. "Every Congress member must remember that each one of you is fighting for the Constitution, for every person in India irrespective of the colour of his skin or belief," Rahul was quoted as saying by party spokesperson Rajdeep Singh Surjewala. At a meeting of the Congress Working Committee last week, Rahul had last week offered to resign from the post of Congress President accepting responsibility for the defeat in the elections but CWC has rejected it.

BJP will have no walkover in Parliament: Rahul Gandhi

Soon after taking charge as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajnath-singh-takes-charge-as-defence-minister-223334">Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh</a> Saturday asked the chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force to prepare separate presentations on the challenges and overall functioning of their respective forces.

Singh held a meeting with Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa and newly-appointed Navy chief Karambir Singh at the headquarters of the defence ministry at the Raisina Hills during which he was apprised about the security scenario, officials said.&nbsp;

Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and several top officials of the ministry were also present at the meeting.&nbsp; 
Officials said separate wings of the ministry were also told to prepare presentations which will be reviewed at a meeting soon.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has instructed Defence Ministry officers to prepare detailed presentations on all divisions and departments under him and set time bound targets to achieve the desired outcome. (file pic) <a href="https://t.co/aWY9a7K2Bf">pic.twitter.com/aWY9a7K2Bf</a>
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Singh, who was the Home Minister in the previous government, was accorded a grand welcome by the three services chiefs and senior officials when he arrived at the defence ministry around noon.

A defence ministry spokesperson said Singh urged all those who greeted him to give their best and work towards achieving the "targets".

Earlier in the day, Singh visited the national war memorial and paid tributes to the fallen heroes.

As defence minister, Singh's most crucial challenge will be to speed up the long-delayed modernisation of the three services besides ensuring overall coherence in their combat readiness.&nbsp;

His other challenge will be to ensure peace and tranquillity along the frontier with China while developing required military infrastructure to deal with any possible Chinese hostility.&nbsp;

As he took charge of the ministry just three months after India carried out air strikes on a terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, it is expected that he will continue with the policy of hot pursuit in dealing with cross border terrorism.

Containing infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan will be another key focus area.

As the Defence Minister, Singh will face the challenge of strengthening the combat capabilities of the Army, Navy and the Air Force due to changing regional security matrix and geopolitical dynamics.

The forces have been pressing for equipping them to deal with hybrid warfare and Singh will have to attend to this crucial demand.

The government has been focusing on domestic defence production and Singh will have to carry forward a number of big-ticket reform initiatives, including implementing the ambitious "strategic partnership" model.

Under the new model, select Indian private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign defence majors.

Singh also faces the challenge of modernising the defence research organisations and various other defence public sector undertakings so that they can produce state-of-the-art military hardware to match the requirement of the forces.

He will also have to oversee the implementation of major reforms in the 12-lakh strong Army. The Army has already finalised a blueprint for its reform including right-sizing of the force.&nbsp;

His predecessor Nirmala Sitharaman had taken on the opposition head-on with her fiery defence of the Rafale fighter jet deal and it will be interesting to see how Singh deals with the issue.&nbsp;

Soon after taking charge as Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh Saturday asked the chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force to prepare separate presentations on the challenges and overall functioning of their respective forces.

Soon after taking charge as Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh Saturday asked the chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force to prepare separate presentations on the challenges and overall functioning of their respective forces. Singh held a meeting with Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa and newly-appointed Navy chief Karambir Singh at the headquarters of the defence ministry at the Raisina Hills during which he was apprised about the security scenario, officials said. Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and several top officials of the ministry were also present at the meeting. Officials said separate wings of the ministry were also told to prepare presentations which will be reviewed at a meeting soon. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has instructed Defence Ministry officers to prepare detailed presentations on all divisions and departments under him and set time bound targets to achieve the desired outcome. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/aWY9a7K2Bf — ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2019 × Singh, who was the Home Minister in the previous government, was accorded a grand welcome by the three services chiefs and senior officials when he arrived at the defence ministry around noon. A defence ministry spokesperson said Singh urged all those who greeted him to give their best and work towards achieving the "targets". Earlier in the day, Singh visited the national war memorial and paid tributes to the fallen heroes. As defence minister, Singh's most crucial challenge will be to speed up the long-delayed modernisation of the three services besides ensuring overall coherence in their combat readiness. His other challenge will be to ensure peace and tranquillity along the frontier with China while developing required military infrastructure to deal with any possible Chinese hostility. As he took charge of the ministry just three months after India carried out air strikes on a terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, it is expected that he will continue with the policy of hot pursuit in dealing with cross border terrorism. Containing infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan will be another key focus area. As the Defence Minister, Singh will face the challenge of strengthening the combat capabilities of the Army, Navy and the Air Force due to changing regional security matrix and geopolitical dynamics. The forces have been pressing for equipping them to deal with hybrid warfare and Singh will have to attend to this crucial demand. The government has been focusing on domestic defence production and Singh will have to carry forward a number of big-ticket reform initiatives, including implementing the ambitious "strategic partnership" model. Under the new model, select Indian private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign defence majors. Singh also faces the challenge of modernising the defence research organisations and various other defence public sector undertakings so that they can produce state-of-the-art military hardware to match the requirement of the forces. He will also have to oversee the implementation of major reforms in the 12-lakh strong Army. The Army has already finalised a blueprint for its reform including right-sizing of the force. His predecessor Nirmala Sitharaman had taken on the opposition head-on with her fiery defence of the Rafale fighter jet deal and it will be interesting to see how Singh deals with the issue.

Rajnath Singh holds high-level meet after taking charge as Defence Minister

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sonia-gandhi-elected-leader-of-congress-parliamentary-party-sources-223313">The Congress party on Saturday</a> said that it will not stake a claim for the post of the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha as it is falling short of two seats and is not able to reach the required number of 54.&nbsp;

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told media that the party needs 10 per cent to of the total number of Lok Sabha seats, "since we're 2 short officially we can't have a Leader of Opposition," he said.

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Randeep Singh Surjewala on Leader of Opposition: We will not stake a claim to the Leader of Opposition till we have the strength of 54 &amp; since we don't have we're not going to stake a claim. <a href="https://t.co/Yjthql3coc">https://t.co/Yjthql3coc</a>
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Surjewala added that the onus lies with the Central government "whether they want to designate a party formally as principal opposition or not".

Watch: Sonia Gandhi elected as the leader of Congress Parliamentary Party

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The party had appointed senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge to the post in 2014 for the 16th Lok Sabha term.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was re-elected as the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) today.

The newly elected Congress Lok Sabha MPs were present for the meeting which took place at the Central Hall of Parliament in New Delhi.&nbsp;

The Congress party on Saturday said that it will not stake a claim for the post of the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha as it is falling short of two seats and is not able to reach the required number of 54.

The Congress party on Saturday said that it will not stake a claim for the post of the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha as it is falling short of two seats and is not able to reach the required number of 54. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told media that the party needs 10 per cent to of the total number of Lok Sabha seats, "since we're 2 short officially we can't have a Leader of Opposition," he said. Randeep Singh Surjewala on Leader of Opposition: We will not stake a claim to the Leader of Opposition till we have the strength of 54 & since we don't have we're not going to stake a claim. https://t.co/Yjthql3coc — ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2019 × Surjewala added that the onus lies with the Central government "whether they want to designate a party formally as principal opposition or not". Watch: Sonia Gandhi elected as the leader of Congress Parliamentary Party The party had appointed senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge to the post in 2014 for the 16th Lok Sabha term. Meanwhile, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was re-elected as the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) today. The newly elected Congress Lok Sabha MPs were present for the meeting which took place at the Central Hall of Parliament in New Delhi.

Won't stake claim in Lok Sabha for Leader of Opposition: Congress

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-sends-team-to-amethi-to-ascertain-cause-of-defeat-223019">Congress president</a> and newly elected MP from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi will pay a two-day visit to his constituency from June 7 to thank the voters.

Rahul had on May 24 expressed gratitude to the people of Wayanad for choosing him as their representative in the Lok Sabha.

Gandhi, who netted 7,05,034 votes in Wayanad, tweeted in Malayalam saying, "I honour the decision of the people of the country. I congratulate all the winners. I wish to thank all the people of Wayanad who have chosen me as your representative. I also extend my thanks to each and every Congress worker for their hard work and efforts in this election."

Gandhi won by 4,31,063 votes against his nearest rival Left Democratic Front (LDF)`s PP Suneer in the constituency.&nbsp;

Congress president and newly elected MP from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi will pay a two-day visit to his constituency from June 7 to thank the voters. Rahul had on May 24 expressed gratitude to the people of Wayanad for choosing him as their representative in the Lok Sabha.

Congress president and newly elected MP from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi will pay a two-day visit to his constituency from June 7 to thank the voters. Rahul had on May 24 expressed gratitude to the people of Wayanad for choosing him as their representative in the Lok Sabha. Gandhi, who netted 7,05,034 votes in Wayanad, tweeted in Malayalam saying, "I honour the decision of the people of the country. I congratulate all the winners. I wish to thank all the people of Wayanad who have chosen me as your representative. I also extend my thanks to each and every Congress worker for their hard work and efforts in this election." Gandhi won by 4,31,063 votes against his nearest rival Left Democratic Front (LDF)`s PP Suneer in the constituency.

Rahul Gandhi to pay 2-day visit to Wayanad from June 7

The JD(U), BJP`s crucial ally in Bihar, on Friday ruled out joining the Modi government at the Centre, notwithstanding Amit Shah`s telephonic call to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar this morning in a bid to persuade the party to reconsider its decision.

Kumar, who is also the JD(U) chief, made it clear that his does not want to join the new Cabinet just for the sake of "symbolic" representation but would fully support the government from outside.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/what-is-in-store-for-ndas-alliance-in-modi-20-cabinet-222843">NDA's allies who are part of the Modi 2.0 Cabinet</a>

The BJP has full majority on its own and there should be no worry about JD(U)`s support, he added.&nbsp;

"This morning the BJP President called me and I told him that I have already communicated my decision to Bhupendraji (Bhupendra Yadav, BJP General Secretary) yesterday itself" he told reporters as having told Shah.

JD(U) refused to accept one ministerial berth for each ally as proposed by the BJP and declined to join the government. Other allies like LJSP headed by Ram Vilas Paswan, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena and RPI(A) joined the new Cabinet yesterday.&nbsp;

"We communicated our decision to them in the day. Then in the night BJP`s general secretary in-charge came to me. We have communicated our decision in the day but they came in the night again. We have decided, We are together. Our alliance is for Bihar`s development. We do not wish for symbolic representation," Kumar said referring Yadav`s meeting with him last night after the swearing in.

He said if at all necessary for JD(U)`s participation then it should be on the basis of "proportion" in Bihar, suggesting the party should get more ministerial berths.

However, when pressed for the number of ministerial berths the party was interested in, the chief minister said the issue has not yet come to that stage.

"We only said one is not alright. There should be proportional representation. What that proportion is, we have not come to that stage."

Referring to the discussions with the BJP on joining the government, Kumar said, "After the NDA meeting in Parliament (last Saturday), BJP president Amit Shah asked me to come on May 30. In the meeting, he said that an MP from each NDA ally would be inducted into the cabinet. They want to give symbolic representation to each NDA ally. I have said that it is not needed," Kumar told reporters here.

"When I discussed the proposal with my core team, they said that it is not appropriate. There is no need of symbolic representation but proportional representation is needed. We have not said anything about the seats we needed. We are in alliance and are together. We don`t have any problem in that," he said.

Speaking further, Nitish said, "There should be proportional representation. We are in the government then what is the need of symbolic representation. When a party has majority government then it is their decision to make ministers."

"We are with NDA without any of our MP as Cabinet Minister. During Atal ji`s time, BJP did not get full majority but today is different," he said adding that the sharing of ministries then was different.

To a reporter`s question about the BJP inducting five ministers from Bihar, four of them from upper castes, Kumar said he did not want to comment on the issue because it was BJP`s prerogative to do what it wants to do about their ministers.

He said everyone should remember the long queues of poor and those deprived sections, who voted in Bihar and that should be kept in mind during times of cabinet formation.&nbsp;

The JD(U), BJP`s crucial ally in Bihar, on Friday ruled out joining the Modi government at the Centre, notwithstanding Amit Shah`s telephonic call to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar this morning in a bid to persuade the party to reconsider its decision.

The JD(U), BJP`s crucial ally in Bihar, on Friday ruled out joining the Modi government at the Centre, notwithstanding Amit Shah`s telephonic call to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar this morning in a bid to persuade the party to reconsider its decision. Kumar, who is also the JD(U) chief, made it clear that his does not want to join the new Cabinet just for the sake of "symbolic" representation but would fully support the government from outside. Also read: NDA's allies who are part of the Modi 2.0 Cabinet The BJP has full majority on its own and there should be no worry about JD(U)`s support, he added. "This morning the BJP President called me and I told him that I have already communicated my decision to Bhupendraji (Bhupendra Yadav, BJP General Secretary) yesterday itself" he told reporters as having told Shah. JD(U) refused to accept one ministerial berth for each ally as proposed by the BJP and declined to join the government. Other allies like LJSP headed by Ram Vilas Paswan, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena and RPI(A) joined the new Cabinet yesterday. "We communicated our decision to them in the day. Then in the night BJP`s general secretary in-charge came to me. We have communicated our decision in the day but they came in the night again. We have decided, We are together. Our alliance is for Bihar`s development. We do not wish for symbolic representation," Kumar said referring Yadav`s meeting with him last night after the swearing in. He said if at all necessary for JD(U)`s participation then it should be on the basis of "proportion" in Bihar, suggesting the party should get more ministerial berths. However, when pressed for the number of ministerial berths the party was interested in, the chief minister said the issue has not yet come to that stage. "We only said one is not alright. There should be proportional representation. What that proportion is, we have not come to that stage." Referring to the discussions with the BJP on joining the government, Kumar said, "After the NDA meeting in Parliament (last Saturday), BJP president Amit Shah asked me to come on May 30. In the meeting, he said that an MP from each NDA ally would be inducted into the cabinet. They want to give symbolic representation to each NDA ally. I have said that it is not needed," Kumar told reporters here. "When I discussed the proposal with my core team, they said that it is not appropriate. There is no need of symbolic representation but proportional representation is needed. We have not said anything about the seats we needed. We are in alliance and are together. We don`t have any problem in that," he said. Speaking further, Nitish said, "There should be proportional representation. We are in the government then what is the need of symbolic representation. When a party has majority government then it is their decision to make ministers." "We are with NDA without any of our MP as Cabinet Minister. During Atal ji`s time, BJP did not get full majority but today is different," he said adding that the sharing of ministries then was different. To a reporter`s question about the BJP inducting five ministers from Bihar, four of them from upper castes, Kumar said he did not want to comment on the issue because it was BJP`s prerogative to do what it wants to do about their ministers. He said everyone should remember the long queues of poor and those deprived sections, who voted in Bihar and that should be kept in mind during times of cabinet formation.

Proportional representation in cabinet needed: Nitish Kumar

President Ram Nath Kovind as exhorted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday coordinated the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shah-pm-modis-right-hand-man-is-indias-new-home-minister-223085"> assignment of portfolios</a> among members from the Union Council of Ministers.

In the allocation of portfolios to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/s-jaishankar-is-the-new-foreign-minister-will-replace-sushma-swaraj-223083">newly sworn-in members</a> of the Council of Ministers announced on Monday, most of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/nirmala-sitharaman-the-first-full-time-woman-defence-minister-retained-as-union-minister-222866">Cabinet ministers </a>retained their earlier portfolios with Nitin Gadkari getting Road Transport and Highways while Ravi Shankar Prasad, Law and justice, Communications and Electronics and Information and Technology.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/modi-20-prominent-faces-of-the-58-member-ministerial-team-222972">In pics: Prominent faces of the 58-member ministerial team</a>

Smriti Irani, who defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, will retain Textiles Minister along with Women and Child Development Ministry, earlier looked after by Maneka Gandhi.&nbsp;

Watch: All-new Narendra Modi govt to hold its first Cabinet meet

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/all-new-narendra-modi-govt-to-hold-its-first-cabinet-meet-223086/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Dharmendra Pradhan will be looking after Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry again along with Steel Ministry, earlier looked after by Chaudhary Birender Singh.

Here is the list of the council of ministers and their portfolios 

Cabinet Ministers

1. Raj Nath Singh - Minister of Defence

2. Amit Shah - Minister of Home Affairs

3. Nitin Jairam Gadkari - Minister of Road Transport and Highways; and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

4. D.V. Sadananda Gowda - Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers

5. Nirmala Sitharaman - Minister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate Affairs

6. Ramvilas Paswan - Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

7. Narendra Singh Tomar - Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Minister of Rural Development; and Minister of Panchayati Raj

8. Ravi Shankar Prasad - Minister of Law and Justice; Minister of Communications; and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology

9. Harsimrat Kaur Badal - Minister of Food Processing Industries

10. Thaawar Chand Gehlot - Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment

11. Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar - Minister of External Affairs

12. Ramesh Pokhriyal `Nishank` - Minister of Human Resource Development

13 Arjun Munda - Minister of Tribal Affairs

14. Smriti Zubin Irani - Minister of Women and Child Development; and Minister of Textiles

15. Harsh Vardhan - Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Minister of Science and Technology; and Minister of Earth Sciences

16. Prakash Javadekar - Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Minister of Information and Broadcasting

17. Piyush Goyal - Minister of Railways; and Minister of Commerce and Industry

18. Dharmendra Pradhan - Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and Minister of Steel

19. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi - Minister of Minority Affairs

20. Pralhad Joshi - Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Minister of Coal; and Minister of Mines

21. Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey - Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

22. Arvind Ganpat Sawant - Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise

23. Giriraj Singh - Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries

24. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat - Minister of Jal Shakti

Ministers of State (Independent Charge)&nbsp;

1. Santosh Kumar Gangwar - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment

2. Rao Inderjit Singh - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Planning

3. Shripad Yesso Naik - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH); and Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence

4. Dr Jitendra Singh - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office; Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy; and Minister of State in the Department of Space

5. Kiren Rijiju - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs

6. Prahalad Singh Patel - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Culture; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Tourism

7. Raj Kumar Singh - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Power; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

8. Hardeep Singh Puri - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry

9. Mansukh L. Mandaviya - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Shipping; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

Ministers of State

1. Faggansingh Kulaste - Minister of State in the Ministry of Steel

2. Ashwini Kumar Choubey - Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

3. Arjun Ram Meghwal - Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; andMinister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises

4. General (Retd.) VK Singh - Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

5. Krishan Pal - Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

6. Danve Raosaheb Dadarao - Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

7. G Kishan Reddy - Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs

8. Parshottam Rupala - Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

9. Ramdas Athawale - Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

10. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti - Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development

11. Babul Supriyo - Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

12. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan - Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries

13. Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao - Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development; Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications; andMinister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

14. Anurag Singh Thakur - Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance andMinister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs

15. Angadi Suresh Channabasappa - Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways

16. Nityanand Rai - Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs

17. Rattan Lal Kataria - Minister of State in the Ministry of Jal Shakti; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

18. V Muraleedharan - Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs

19. Renuka Singh Saruta - Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs

20. Som Parkash - Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry

21. Rameshwar Teli - Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries

22. Pratap Chandra Sarangi - Minister of State in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries

23. Kailash Choudhary - Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

24. Sushri Debasree Chaudhuri - Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

President Ram Nath Kovind as exhorted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday coordinated the assignment of portfolios among members from the Union Council of Ministers.

President Ram Nath Kovind as exhorted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday coordinated the assignment of portfolios among members from the Union Council of Ministers. In the allocation of portfolios to newly sworn-in members of the Council of Ministers announced on Monday, most of the Cabinet ministers retained their earlier portfolios with Nitin Gadkari getting Road Transport and Highways while Ravi Shankar Prasad, Law and justice, Communications and Electronics and Information and Technology. In pics: Prominent faces of the 58-member ministerial team Smriti Irani, who defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, will retain Textiles Minister along with Women and Child Development Ministry, earlier looked after by Maneka Gandhi. Watch: All-new Narendra Modi govt to hold its first Cabinet meet Dharmendra Pradhan will be looking after Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry again along with Steel Ministry, earlier looked after by Chaudhary Birender Singh. Here is the list of the council of ministers and their portfolios Cabinet Ministers 1. Raj Nath Singh - Minister of Defence 2. Amit Shah - Minister of Home Affairs 3. Nitin Jairam Gadkari - Minister of Road Transport and Highways; and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises 4. D.V. Sadananda Gowda - Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers 5. Nirmala Sitharaman - Minister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate Affairs 6. Ramvilas Paswan - Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution 7. Narendra Singh Tomar - Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Minister of Rural Development; and Minister of Panchayati Raj 8. Ravi Shankar Prasad - Minister of Law and Justice; Minister of Communications; and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology 9. Harsimrat Kaur Badal - Minister of Food Processing Industries 10. Thaawar Chand Gehlot - Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment 11. Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar - Minister of External Affairs 12. Ramesh Pokhriyal `Nishank` - Minister of Human Resource Development 13 Arjun Munda - Minister of Tribal Affairs 14. Smriti Zubin Irani - Minister of Women and Child Development; and Minister of Textiles 15. Harsh Vardhan - Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Minister of Science and Technology; and Minister of Earth Sciences 16. Prakash Javadekar - Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Minister of Information and Broadcasting 17. Piyush Goyal - Minister of Railways; and Minister of Commerce and Industry 18. Dharmendra Pradhan - Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and Minister of Steel 19. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi - Minister of Minority Affairs 20. Pralhad Joshi - Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Minister of Coal; and Minister of Mines 21. Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey - Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 22. Arvind Ganpat Sawant - Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise 23. Giriraj Singh - Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries 24. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat - Minister of Jal Shakti Ministers of State (Independent Charge) 1. Santosh Kumar Gangwar - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment 2. Rao Inderjit Singh - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Planning 3. Shripad Yesso Naik - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH); and Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence 4. Dr Jitendra Singh - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office; Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy; and Minister of State in the Department of Space 5. Kiren Rijiju - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs 6. Prahalad Singh Patel - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Culture; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Tourism 7. Raj Kumar Singh - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Power; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 8. Hardeep Singh Puri - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry 9. Mansukh L. Mandaviya - Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Shipping; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. Ministers of State 1. Faggansingh Kulaste - Minister of State in the Ministry of Steel 2. Ashwini Kumar Choubey - Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 3. Arjun Ram Meghwal - Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; andMinister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises 4. General (Retd.) VK Singh - Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways 5. Krishan Pal - Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment 6. Danve Raosaheb Dadarao - Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution 7. G Kishan Reddy - Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs 8. Parshottam Rupala - Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare 9. Ramdas Athawale - Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment 10. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti - Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development 11. Babul Supriyo - Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change 12. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan - Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries 13. Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao - Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development; Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications; andMinister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology 14. Anurag Singh Thakur - Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance andMinister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs 15. Angadi Suresh Channabasappa - Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways 16. Nityanand Rai - Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs 17. Rattan Lal Kataria - Minister of State in the Ministry of Jal Shakti; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment 18. V Muraleedharan - Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs 19. Renuka Singh Saruta - Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs 20. Som Parkash - Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry 21. Rameshwar Teli - Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries 22. Pratap Chandra Sarangi - Minister of State in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries 23. Kailash Choudhary - Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare 24. Sushri Debasree Chaudhuri - Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development (With inputs from agencies)

Cabinet 2.0: Most ministers retain earlier ministries; check complete list

BJP president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shah-pm-modis-right-hand-man-is-indias-new-home-minister-223085">Amit Shah </a>and former Foreign Secretary <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/s-jaishankar-is-the-new-foreign-minister-will-replace-sushma-swaraj-223083">S. Jaishankar </a>are the most prominent faces in the considerable number of first-timers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s Cabinet.

While Shah got hold of the Home Ministry, Jaishankar will helm External Affairs.

Modi`s Cabinet has six new Cabinet ministers and close to 15 new Ministers of State.

Here`s how the new faces have fared -Former Uttrakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal will be handling the HRD ministry.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-20-rajnath-singh-is-defence-minister-amit-shah-home-nirmala-sitharaman-gets-finace-223084">Modi 2.0: Rajnath Singh is Defence Minister, Amit Shah Home; Nirmala Sitharaman gets Finance</a>

Popular tribal leader and former chief minister of Jharkhand, Arjun Munda, made it to the big league and will take care of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Shiv Sena`s Arvind Ganpat Sawant, the MP from Mumbai-South, will now be the in-charge of Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

A lawmaker from Karnataka, Pralhad Joshi, who won with one of the highest margins in Karnataka, will head the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs along with the charge of Coal and Mines.

BJP MP from Chandauli, Mahendra Nath Pandey has been given the post of Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in the 17th Lok Sabha.

Under the category of Ministers of State, new-inductee Anurag Thakur will be part of the Finance Ministry.

Debasree Chaudhuri from West Bengal will be the MoS in Women and Child Development Ministry.

Talked about for his austere lifestyle, BJP MP from Odisha Pratap Chandra Sarangi will look after MSMEs and Ministry of Animal Husbandry.

Other new Ministers of State are - Prahalad Singh Patel G Kishan Reddy, Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Debasree Chaudhuri, Kailash Choudhary, Rameswar Teli Nityanand Rai, Rattan Lal Kataria, V Muraleedharan, Renuka Singh Saruta, Som Parkash and Angadi Suresh Channabasappa.&nbsp;

BJP president Amit Shah and former Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar are the most prominent faces in the considerable number of first-timers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s Cabinet.

BJP president Amit Shah and former Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar are the most prominent faces in the considerable number of first-timers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s Cabinet. While Shah got hold of the Home Ministry, Jaishankar will helm External Affairs. Modi`s Cabinet has six new Cabinet ministers and close to 15 new Ministers of State. Here`s how the new faces have fared -Former Uttrakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal will be handling the HRD ministry. Also read: Modi 2.0: Rajnath Singh is Defence Minister, Amit Shah Home; Nirmala Sitharaman gets Finance Popular tribal leader and former chief minister of Jharkhand, Arjun Munda, made it to the big league and will take care of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Shiv Sena`s Arvind Ganpat Sawant, the MP from Mumbai-South, will now be the in-charge of Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. A lawmaker from Karnataka, Pralhad Joshi, who won with one of the highest margins in Karnataka, will head the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs along with the charge of Coal and Mines. BJP MP from Chandauli, Mahendra Nath Pandey has been given the post of Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in the 17th Lok Sabha. Under the category of Ministers of State, new-inductee Anurag Thakur will be part of the Finance Ministry. Debasree Chaudhuri from West Bengal will be the MoS in Women and Child Development Ministry. Talked about for his austere lifestyle, BJP MP from Odisha Pratap Chandra Sarangi will look after MSMEs and Ministry of Animal Husbandry. Other new Ministers of State are - Prahalad Singh Patel G Kishan Reddy, Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre, Debasree Chaudhuri, Kailash Choudhary, Rameswar Teli Nityanand Rai, Rattan Lal Kataria, V Muraleedharan, Renuka Singh Saruta, Som Parkash and Angadi Suresh Channabasappa.

Modi Cabinet 2.0: First-timers and their portfolios

Nirmala Sitharaman was the first woman to be appointed full-time Defence Minister of India in September 2017 -- and since then she has been assiduously trying to adopt a holistic approach in addressing the country's security challenges.

59-year-old Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member, is the second woman to take charge of the crucial ministry after Indira Gandhi who as the Prime Minister also held the portfolio in the seventies.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/live-updates-prime-minister-narendra-modi-swearing-in-ceremony-222770">Live: Narendra Modi takes oath as PM again along with the council of ministers</a>

One of BJP's chief spokespersons before its ascent to power, Sitharaman is an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University and London School of Economics.&nbsp;

As the Defence Minister, Sitharaman attempted to strengthen the Army, Navy and the Air Force and was credited for expediting the decision making process relating to defence procurement. She constituted a Defence Planning Committee to formulate an "action plan" to effectively deal with various security challenges facing the nation.

However, her biggest moment came when India carried out air strikes on a terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, seen as major policy shift in the country's efforts to deal with cross border terrorism.

She took on the opposition head on with her fiery defence of the Rafale fighter jet deal in Parliament.

She has also focused on boosting domestic defence production besides taking steps to implement the ambitious "strategic partnership" model with several countries like the United States and Russia.

Under the new model, select Indian private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign defence majors.

Sitharaman was born on August 18, 1959 in the temple town of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She did her schooling and her graduation in Economics, from Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy College in Tiruchirapalli.&nbsp;

She went on to do her Masters in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.&nbsp;

Sitharaman served as an assistant to Economist in the Agricultural Engineers Association, UK in London. She subsequently worked as Senior Manager (Research and Analysis) with Price Waterhouse, London. During this time she also briefly worked with BBC World Service.

On her return to India, she served as Deputy Director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies at Hyderabad.&nbsp;

Sitharaman joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2008, and was made a member of the National Executive. She was nominated as party spokesperson in March 2010 and has been a full time party worker since then.

She was inducted in the Union Cabinet on May 26, 2014 as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry.&nbsp;

Nirmala Sitharaman was the first woman to be appointed full-time Defence Minister of India in September 2017 -- and since then she has been assiduously trying to adopt a holistic approach in addressing the country's security challenges.

Nirmala Sitharaman was the first woman to be appointed full-time Defence Minister of India in September 2017 -- and since then she has been assiduously trying to adopt a holistic approach in addressing the country's security challenges. 59-year-old Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member, is the second woman to take charge of the crucial ministry after Indira Gandhi who as the Prime Minister also held the portfolio in the seventies. Live: Narendra Modi takes oath as PM again along with the council of ministers One of BJP's chief spokespersons before its ascent to power, Sitharaman is an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University and London School of Economics. As the Defence Minister, Sitharaman attempted to strengthen the Army, Navy and the Air Force and was credited for expediting the decision making process relating to defence procurement. She constituted a Defence Planning Committee to formulate an "action plan" to effectively deal with various security challenges facing the nation. However, her biggest moment came when India carried out air strikes on a terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, seen as major policy shift in the country's efforts to deal with cross border terrorism. She took on the opposition head on with her fiery defence of the Rafale fighter jet deal in Parliament. She has also focused on boosting domestic defence production besides taking steps to implement the ambitious "strategic partnership" model with several countries like the United States and Russia. Under the new model, select Indian private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign defence majors. Sitharaman was born on August 18, 1959 in the temple town of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She did her schooling and her graduation in Economics, from Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy College in Tiruchirapalli. She went on to do her Masters in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Sitharaman served as an assistant to Economist in the Agricultural Engineers Association, UK in London. She subsequently worked as Senior Manager (Research and Analysis) with Price Waterhouse, London. During this time she also briefly worked with BBC World Service. On her return to India, she served as Deputy Director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies at Hyderabad. Sitharaman joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2008, and was made a member of the National Executive. She was nominated as party spokesperson in March 2010 and has been a full time party worker since then. She was inducted in the Union Cabinet on May 26, 2014 as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry.

Nirmala Sitharaman: The first full time woman defence minister retained as Union Minister

Piyush Goyal, reassigned the charge of the crucial railway ministry, is likely to focus on safety, generation of non-fare revenue, track renewal, modernisation and increase in the production of state-of-the-art coaches in his second stint at the helm of the national transporter, official sources said Friday.

Goyal, having achieved the lowest accident figures in his previous tenure, had repeatedly said that his goal was to reach the zero accident standard.

His biggest challenge would be to maintain the record by timely track maintenance and renewal. His aim would be to ensure that railway factories ramp up production of state-of-the-art coaches for trains such as Vande Bharat Express so that more such services can be introduced.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-20-rajnath-singh-is-defence-minister-amit-shah-home-nirmala-sitharaman-gets-finace-223084">Modi 2.0: Rajnath Singh is Defence Minister, Amit Shah Home; Nirmala Sitharaman gets Finance</a>

Goyal, who had pushed for generating resources through non-fare revenue, had hit a stonewall during his last stint, but the minister is likely to drive this idea as he believes that this will bring in additional funds to boost the beleaguered railways' finances.

Known to work with a team of around 20 trusted advisors, mostly graduates of top business schools, Goyal keeps track of every operational detail through spreadsheets and is usually quick with facts and figures.&nbsp;

Not shy of keeping bureaucrats in line, Goyal burns the midnight oil reading reports and documents related to different aspects of his ministry.&nbsp;

Active on Twitter, Goyal even responds to passengers' queries.&nbsp;

In his first stint as railway minister, Goyal, a Rajya Sabha member, achieved several firsts -- it was during his tenure the government announced its first bullet train which would run from Mumbai to Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, manufactured its first indigenously-built and engine-less high-speed train Vande Bharat Express, commissioned its longest bridge, converted a diesel loco into an electric one for the first time, built its first transport university, and its first air-conditioned local train.

The national transporter also registers the lowest accident rate in the past three decades during Goyal's tenure.&nbsp;

Piyush Goyal, reassigned the charge of the crucial railway ministry, is likely to focus on safety, generation of non-fare revenue, track renewal, modernisation and increase in the production of state-of-the-art coaches in his second stint at the helm of the national transporter, official sources said Friday.

Piyush Goyal, reassigned the charge of the crucial railway ministry, is likely to focus on safety, generation of non-fare revenue, track renewal, modernisation and increase in the production of state-of-the-art coaches in his second stint at the helm of the national transporter, official sources said Friday. Goyal, having achieved the lowest accident figures in his previous tenure, had repeatedly said that his goal was to reach the zero accident standard. His biggest challenge would be to maintain the record by timely track maintenance and renewal. His aim would be to ensure that railway factories ramp up production of state-of-the-art coaches for trains such as Vande Bharat Express so that more such services can be introduced. Also read: Modi 2.0: Rajnath Singh is Defence Minister, Amit Shah Home; Nirmala Sitharaman gets Finance Goyal, who had pushed for generating resources through non-fare revenue, had hit a stonewall during his last stint, but the minister is likely to drive this idea as he believes that this will bring in additional funds to boost the beleaguered railways' finances. Known to work with a team of around 20 trusted advisors, mostly graduates of top business schools, Goyal keeps track of every operational detail through spreadsheets and is usually quick with facts and figures. Not shy of keeping bureaucrats in line, Goyal burns the midnight oil reading reports and documents related to different aspects of his ministry. Active on Twitter, Goyal even responds to passengers' queries. In his first stint as railway minister, Goyal, a Rajya Sabha member, achieved several firsts -- it was during his tenure the government announced its first bullet train which would run from Mumbai to Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, manufactured its first indigenously-built and engine-less high-speed train Vande Bharat Express, commissioned its longest bridge, converted a diesel loco into an electric one for the first time, built its first transport university, and its first air-conditioned local train. The national transporter also registers the lowest accident rate in the past three decades during Goyal's tenure.

Piyush Goyal retains railways, likely to focus on safety, non-fare revenue

Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi will take oath for a second term today at 7 pm. The ceremony will be attended by 6,000 invitees, including foreign dignitaries, allies and adversaries.

Earlier in the day, ahead of being sworn in as the prime minister for the second consecutive term, PM Narendra Modi, Thursday morning paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and BJP veteran late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He also placed a wreath at the National War Memorial.

Live: 57 ministers sworn in as PM Modi begins second term

The Lok Sabha Elections 2019 results will be declared today. Counting of votes will begin at 8 am at all counting centres across India. 

The fate of over 8,000 candidates from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress (INC) and other parties were decided by voters between April 11 and May 19. 

It is suggested that the counting of votes and the announcement of results may get delayed due to tallying of voter-verified paper audit trail slips with EVM count. The exercise will take place for the first time.

Lok Sabha election results 2019 live updates: 'PM Modi is a great man and leader for the people of India,' says Trump

Sushma Swaraj, Rajyavardhan Rathore and Mahesh Sharma are among the notable omissions in the BJP-led NDA's second innings. Despite winning their seats, eight-time MP Maneka Gandhi, six-time MP Radhamohan Singh, Sharma, Jayant Sinha, Anupriya Patel, Jual Oram, Ram Kripal Yadav and Rathore lost their ministerial berths.

Another key BJP leader, who did not make it to the Cabinet his time, is J P Nadda, the health minister in the first Modi dispensation. He could be the next BJP president as incumbent Amit Shah has joined the government. There were many from Modi's previous Cabinet who either did not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections or suffered defeat.

Swaraj had opted out of fighting the polls due to health reasons. Others who decided not to contest were Suresh Prabhu, who held the civil aviation portfolio, Uma Bharati, the minister of drinking water and sanitation and Birender Singh, who was the minister of steel.

Manoj Sinha, the minister of state for railways, Alphons Kannanthanam, the minister of tourism with independent charge, and Hansraj Ahir, the minister of state for home, were among those who tasted defeat in the elections. Former bureaucrat and minister of state for urban affairs (independent charge) Hardeep Singh Puri, however, retained his berth despite losing his seat.

Vijay Sampla, who was the minister of state, social justice and empowerment, was dropped. He had been denied a ticket by the BJP after it accused the party of "cow slaughter". Known for his controversial statements, Anantkumar Hegde, who held the skill development portfolio, has also been dropped.

Arun Jaitley, who was the finance minister, had opted out of being in the government for health reasons.

Sushma Swaraj, Rajyavardhan Rathore and Mahesh Sharma are among the notable omissions in the BJP-led NDA's second innings. Despite winning their seats, eight-time MP Maneka Gandhi, six-time MP Radhamohan Singh, Sharma, Jayant Sinha, Anupriya Patel, Jual Oram, Ram Kripal Yadav and Rathore lost their ministerial berths.

Sushma Swaraj, Rajyavardhan Rathore and Mahesh Sharma are among the notable omissions in the BJP-led NDA's second innings. Despite winning their seats, eight-time MP Maneka Gandhi, six-time MP Radhamohan Singh, Sharma, Jayant Sinha, Anupriya Patel, Jual Oram, Ram Kripal Yadav and Rathore lost their ministerial berths. Another key BJP leader, who did not make it to the Cabinet his time, is J P Nadda, the health minister in the first Modi dispensation. He could be the next BJP president as incumbent Amit Shah has joined the government. There were many from Modi's previous Cabinet who either did not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections or suffered defeat. Swaraj had opted out of fighting the polls due to health reasons. Others who decided not to contest were Suresh Prabhu, who held the civil aviation portfolio, Uma Bharati, the minister of drinking water and sanitation and Birender Singh, who was the minister of steel. Manoj Sinha, the minister of state for railways, Alphons Kannanthanam, the minister of tourism with independent charge, and Hansraj Ahir, the minister of state for home, were among those who tasted defeat in the elections. Former bureaucrat and minister of state for urban affairs (independent charge) Hardeep Singh Puri, however, retained his berth despite losing his seat. Vijay Sampla, who was the minister of state, social justice and empowerment, was dropped. He had been denied a ticket by the BJP after it accused the party of "cow slaughter". Known for his controversial statements, Anantkumar Hegde, who held the skill development portfolio, has also been dropped. Arun Jaitley, who was the finance minister, had opted out of being in the government for health reasons.

Sushma Swaraj, Maneka Gandhi, Rajyavardhan Rathore among notable omissions in Modi govt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted 20 new faces in his council of ministers and dropped some of the most visible faces of his team — finance minister Arun Jaitley, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and commerce minister Suresh Prabhu.

While Jaitley's absence had become public on Wednesday as he opted out on health grounds, the absence of Sushma and Prabhu came as a surprise

A bigger surprise, however, was the inclusion of former foreign secretary S. Jaishankar into the cabinet.

Besides 25 Cabinet ministers including Modi, Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal and Jaishankar, nine were sworn in as Minister of State with Independent charge and another 24 as Minister of State.

Here is the complete list of&nbsp;ministers:&nbsp;

New Union cabinet ministers 
 
1. Rajnath Singh 
2. Amit Shah 
3. Nitin Gadkari 
4. DV Sadananda Gowda 
5. Nirmala Sitharaman 
6. Ram Vilas Paswan 
7. Narendra Singh Tomar 
8. Ravi Shankar Prasad 
9. Harsimrat Kaur Badal 
10. Thawarchand Gehlot 
11. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar 
12. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank 
13. Arjun Munda 
14. Smriti Irani 
15. Dr Harsh Vardhan 
16. Prakash Javdekar 
17. Piyush Goyal 
18. Dharmendra Pradhan 
19. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi 
20. Prahlad Joshi 
21. Mahendra Nath Pandey 
22. Arvind Sawant 
23. Giriraj Singh 
24. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat&nbsp;

 
Ministers of State (Independent Charge)

1. Santosh Kumar Gangwar 
2. Rao Inderjit Singh 
3. Shripad Yesso Naik 
4. Dr Jitendra Singh 
5. RK singh 
6. Kiren Rijiju 
7. Prahlad Singh Patel 
8. Hardeep Singh Puri 
9. Mansukh Mandaviya&nbsp;

Ministers of State

1. Faggan Singh Kulaste 
2. Ashwini Kumar Choubey 
3. Arjun Ram Meghwal 
4. General (Retd) V.K. Singh 
5. Krishan Pal 
6. Danve Raosaheb Dadarao 
7. G. Kishan Reddy 
8. Parshottam Rupala 
9. Ramdas Athawale 
10. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti 
11. Babul Supriyo 
12. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan 
13. Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao 
14. Anurag Singh Thakur 
15. Angadi Suresh Channabasappa 
16. Nityanand Rai 
17. Rattan Lal Kataria 
18. V. Muraleedharan 
19. Renuka Singh Saruta 
20. Som Parkash 
21. Rameswar Teli 
22. Pratap Chandra Sarangi 
23. Kailash Choudhary 
24. Debasree Chaudhuri

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted 20 new faces in his council of ministers and dropped some of the most visible faces of his team — finance minister Arun Jaitley, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and commerce minister Suresh Prabhu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted 20 new faces in his council of ministers and dropped some of the most visible faces of his team — finance minister Arun Jaitley, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and commerce minister Suresh Prabhu. While Jaitley's absence had become public on Wednesday as he opted out on health grounds, the absence of Sushma and Prabhu came as a surprise A bigger surprise, however, was the inclusion of former foreign secretary S. Jaishankar into the cabinet. Besides 25 Cabinet ministers including Modi, Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal and Jaishankar, nine were sworn in as Minister of State with Independent charge and another 24 as Minister of State. Here is the complete list of ministers: New Union cabinet ministers 1. Rajnath Singh 2. Amit Shah 3. Nitin Gadkari 4. DV Sadananda Gowda 5. Nirmala Sitharaman 6. Ram Vilas Paswan 7. Narendra Singh Tomar 8. Ravi Shankar Prasad 9. Harsimrat Kaur Badal 10. Thawarchand Gehlot 11. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar 12. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank 13. Arjun Munda 14. Smriti Irani 15. Dr Harsh Vardhan 16. Prakash Javdekar 17. Piyush Goyal 18. Dharmendra Pradhan 19. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi 20. Prahlad Joshi 21. Mahendra Nath Pandey 22. Arvind Sawant 23. Giriraj Singh 24. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Ministers of State (Independent Charge) 1. Santosh Kumar Gangwar 2. Rao Inderjit Singh 3. Shripad Yesso Naik 4. Dr Jitendra Singh 5. RK singh 6. Kiren Rijiju 7. Prahlad Singh Patel 8. Hardeep Singh Puri 9. Mansukh Mandaviya Ministers of State 1. Faggan Singh Kulaste 2. Ashwini Kumar Choubey 3. Arjun Ram Meghwal 4. General (Retd) V.K. Singh 5. Krishan Pal 6. Danve Raosaheb Dadarao 7. G. Kishan Reddy 8. Parshottam Rupala 9. Ramdas Athawale 10. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti 11. Babul Supriyo 12. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan 13. Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao 14. Anurag Singh Thakur 15. Angadi Suresh Channabasappa 16. Nityanand Rai 17. Rattan Lal Kataria 18. V. Muraleedharan 19. Renuka Singh Saruta 20. Som Parkash 21. Rameswar Teli 22. Pratap Chandra Sarangi 23. Kailash Choudhary 24. Debasree Chaudhuri

57 ministers sworn in as PM Modi begins second term; complete list

Sushma Swaraj may not be part of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/narendra-modi-takes-oath-as-prime-minister-for-second-time-222847">Modi government this time</a>, but she leaves a legacy of an easily-accessible External Affairs Minister who helped the diaspora in distress by her revolutionary social media outreach.

From being the youngest cabinet minister in the Haryana government to becoming the first woman Delhi chief minister, Swaraj has been a politician with many firsts.

Some of the key ministers in the previous Modi government, including Swaraj, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Maneka Gandhi were not part of the new dispensation.

Swaraj had opted out of fighting the Lok Sabha elections due to health reasons.

She was a celebrated minister in the previous cabinet after she earned the reputation of being an easily-accessible External Affairs Minister.

Her interaction with the diaspora on social media, established her as someone who can be reached in distress with just the click of a mouse.

Several path-breaking measures such as the passport infrastructure expansion and enhanced engagement with the East were the highlight of her tenure.

Swaraj, 66, became the External Affairs Minister in 2014 when Modi's first cabinet was sworn-in on May 26.&nbsp;

She is only the second woman to hold the portfolio after Indira Gandhi, who briefly kept External Affairs Ministry under her while being the Prime Minister.

Swaraj has many firsts to her credit such as being the youngest cabinet minister in the Haryana government, first woman Chief Minister of Delhi and the first woman spokesperson for any national political party in the country.

During her tenure as the External Affairs Minister, Swaraj handled several strategically-sensitive issues, including Indo-Pak and Sino-India relations.

Her role in resolving the prickly Doklam standoff between the Indian and Chinese sides will be remembered.

India's joining of the SCO was also a key achievement during her tenure as External Affairs Minister.

In 1977, at 25 years of age, Swaraj became the youngest cabinet minister -- she held the education portfolio in Haryana.

Swaraj, a law graduate who practised in Supreme Court, has been elected seven times as a Member of Parliament and three times as a Member of the Legislative Assembly.

She began her political career with the ABVP in the 1970s.

Member of the Haryana Assembly from 1977 to 1982 from Ambala Cantonment, she was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister in Devi Lal government.

Swaraj has previously also held the portfolios of Information and Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Health and Family Welfare, and Parliamentary Affairs in the Union Cabinet.

Swaraj is married to Swaraj Kaushal, a designated senior advocate of Supreme Court of India who served as Governor of Mizoram from 1990 to 1993. Kaushal was also a Member of Parliament from 1998 to 2004.

She has been the recipient of the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award.

Sushma Swaraj may not be part of the Modi government this time, but she leaves a legacy of an easily-accessible External Affairs Minister who helped the diaspora in distress by her revolutionary social media outreach.

Sushma Swaraj may not be part of the Modi government this time, but she leaves a legacy of an easily-accessible External Affairs Minister who helped the diaspora in distress by her revolutionary social media outreach. From being the youngest cabinet minister in the Haryana government to becoming the first woman Delhi chief minister, Swaraj has been a politician with many firsts. Some of the key ministers in the previous Modi government, including Swaraj, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Maneka Gandhi were not part of the new dispensation. Swaraj had opted out of fighting the Lok Sabha elections due to health reasons. She was a celebrated minister in the previous cabinet after she earned the reputation of being an easily-accessible External Affairs Minister. Her interaction with the diaspora on social media, established her as someone who can be reached in distress with just the click of a mouse. Several path-breaking measures such as the passport infrastructure expansion and enhanced engagement with the East were the highlight of her tenure. Swaraj, 66, became the External Affairs Minister in 2014 when Modi's first cabinet was sworn-in on May 26. She is only the second woman to hold the portfolio after Indira Gandhi, who briefly kept External Affairs Ministry under her while being the Prime Minister. Swaraj has many firsts to her credit such as being the youngest cabinet minister in the Haryana government, first woman Chief Minister of Delhi and the first woman spokesperson for any national political party in the country. During her tenure as the External Affairs Minister, Swaraj handled several strategically-sensitive issues, including Indo-Pak and Sino-India relations. Her role in resolving the prickly Doklam standoff between the Indian and Chinese sides will be remembered. India's joining of the SCO was also a key achievement during her tenure as External Affairs Minister. In 1977, at 25 years of age, Swaraj became the youngest cabinet minister -- she held the education portfolio in Haryana. Swaraj, a law graduate who practised in Supreme Court, has been elected seven times as a Member of Parliament and three times as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. She began her political career with the ABVP in the 1970s. Member of the Haryana Assembly from 1977 to 1982 from Ambala Cantonment, she was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister in Devi Lal government. Swaraj has previously also held the portfolios of Information and Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Health and Family Welfare, and Parliamentary Affairs in the Union Cabinet. Swaraj is married to Swaraj Kaushal, a designated senior advocate of Supreme Court of India who served as Governor of Mizoram from 1990 to 1993. Kaushal was also a Member of Parliament from 1998 to 2004. She has been the recipient of the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award.

Sushma Swaraj an EAM who reached out to diaspora in distress

With the defeat of two ministers, in the Lok Sabha elections, two fresh faces from Maharashtra -- Arvind Sawant from the Shiv Sena and Sanjay Dhotre from the BJP -- found place in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/narendra-modi-takes-oath-as-prime-minister-for-second-time-222847">Narendra Modi government Thursday</a>.

As in the previous government, there are seven ministers from the state this time too.

Hansraj Ahir of the BJP, who was a Minister of State (Home) in the first term of the Modi government, lost election from Chandrapur, while Anant Geete of the Shiv Sena, heavy industries minister, lost from Raigad constituency.

Both were not inducted in the new ministry.

The ministers from Maharashtra who took oath Thursday included Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal and Prakash Javadekar (all three cabinet ministers in the first term), followed by RPI (A) leader Ramdas Athawale and Arvind Sawant, the sole Sena minister.

BJP's Raosaheb Danve and Sanjay Dhotre were also inducted. Danve was a Union minister for a brief period during the first term of the Modi government before he was sent back as the state BJP chief, a post which he is still holding.

Suresh Prabhu, who handled high-profile railways, commerce and civil aviation portfolios in the first term, did not take oath Thursday.

Maharashtra sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha, second- highest after Uttar Pradesh. The NDA had won 42 seats in the state in 2014. It won 41 seats this time.

V Muraleedharan, who hails from Kerala but who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra two years ago, was also sworn in as a minister of state Thursday.&nbsp;

With the defeat of two ministers, in the Lok Sabha elections, two fresh faces from Maharashtra -- Arvind Sawant from the Shiv Sena and Sanjay Dhotre from the BJP -- found place in the Narendra Modi government Thursday.

With the defeat of two ministers, in the Lok Sabha elections, two fresh faces from Maharashtra -- Arvind Sawant from the Shiv Sena and Sanjay Dhotre from the BJP -- found place in the Narendra Modi government Thursday. As in the previous government, there are seven ministers from the state this time too. Hansraj Ahir of the BJP, who was a Minister of State (Home) in the first term of the Modi government, lost election from Chandrapur, while Anant Geete of the Shiv Sena, heavy industries minister, lost from Raigad constituency. Both were not inducted in the new ministry. The ministers from Maharashtra who took oath Thursday included Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal and Prakash Javadekar (all three cabinet ministers in the first term), followed by RPI (A) leader Ramdas Athawale and Arvind Sawant, the sole Sena minister. BJP's Raosaheb Danve and Sanjay Dhotre were also inducted. Danve was a Union minister for a brief period during the first term of the Modi government before he was sent back as the state BJP chief, a post which he is still holding. Suresh Prabhu, who handled high-profile railways, commerce and civil aviation portfolios in the first term, did not take oath Thursday. Maharashtra sends 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha, second- highest after Uttar Pradesh. The NDA had won 42 seats in the state in 2014. It won 41 seats this time. V Muraleedharan, who hails from Kerala but who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra two years ago, was also sworn in as a minister of state Thursday.

7 ministers from Maharashtra in new government; Arvind Sawant, Sanjay Dhotre new faces

In a balancing act, two dominant communities of Karnataka--Lingayats and Vokkaligas-- have been accommodated in the Narendra Modi-led new council of ministers.

D V Sadananda Gowda and Pralhad Joshi, who were Karnataka BJP presidents, along with Belgaum MP Suresh Angadi have found place in the new ministry.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/narendra-modi-takes-oath-as-prime-minister-for-second-time-222847">Narendra Modi takes oath as PM for second term, joined by Rajnath, Shah, others in Cabinet</a>

Induction of Joshi and Angadi is seen as a move to further consolidate the BJP's base in north Karnataka, where it is already strong.

In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had made deep inroads into the south also, which was considered the stronghold of the Congress and the JDS.

The BJP had won 25 of the 28 seats in Karnataka.

While Sadananda Gowda is a former Karnataka Chief Minister and had served as the minister in the previous Modi government, for Joshi and Angadi, both four-time MPs, it will be their first stint as ministers.

Meanwhile, Nirmala Sitharaman, who served as Defence Minister in the previous government, also was inducted into Modi's new Ministry.

She represents Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha.

With the induction of Gowda and Angadi, representation has been given to two dominant communities in the state- Vokkaligas and Lingayats respectively.

Joshi is a Brahmin, the community though does not form larger vote base has been loyal to BJP for long.

Sitharaman too is a Brahmin.

Region wise, prominence has been given to Mumbai Karnataka in the northern part of the state, considered as a strong bastion of the BJP, as both Joshi and Angadi hail from the region.

While Gowda originally belongs to coastal part of the state, he represents Bangalore North seat.

However, it is to be noted that though Lingayats were considered as the vote bank of BJP and Vokkaligas for JD(S) and to an extent Congress, what was seen in this Lok Sabha polls is larger consolidation of Hindu votes in favour of the BJP, including backward classes.

Also, region wise BJP that was considered to be strong in Mumbai Karnataka and coastal belt and to an extent in Hyderabad Karnataka, has made inroads distinctively into old Mysuru region this time, which was earlier said to be a battlefield reserved for the Congress and JD(S).

With the BJP winning 25 of the total 28 seats in the state, there was expectation in the Karnataka unit that members elected from the state would get more representation in the Narendra Modi ministry.

The state unit's feelings were clearly articulated by Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa a day ahead of the swearing-inof Modi as prime minister after a landslide win.

"I'm going to Delhi, I don't know what is in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mind. As 25 MPs have got elected from here, Karnataka should get more representation is the expectation of every one, 6.5 crore people of Karnataka.

I will try to convince them about this," Yeddyurappa had told reporters in response to a question.

With expectation of more representation from Karnataka, there is also feeling expecting additional ministerial berth for Lingayat community, since more number of seats were won by Lingayats- nine in all.

Also, there is no representation to the SC community for now.

D V Sadananda Gowda (Vokkaliga), G M Siddeshwara (Lingayat), along with Ananth Kumar (Brahmin) had found place in the Modi government-1 cabinet in 2014.

Later when the cabinet rejig happened, Ramesh Jigajinagi, a dalit leader, was inducted dropping Siddeshwara.

Also inducted was Ananth Kumar Hegde (Brahmin).

M Venkaiah Naidu, now Vice President of India, and Nirmala Sitharaman had also served as ministers in the previous Modi government.

All the three MPs, who were inducted into the ministry Thursday, had defeated their opponents by a huge margin.

While Gowda had defeated his opponent Congress' Krishna Byre Gowda from Bangalore North by a margin of 1,47,518 votes, Joshi won the Dharwad Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 2,05,072, defeating Congress' Vinay Kulkarni, a former minister.

Angadi too had defeated Congress' Sadhunavar in Belgaum by a margin of 3,91,304 votes.

In a balancing act, two dominant communities of Karnataka--Lingayats and Vokkaligas-- have been accommodated in the Narendra Modi-led new council of ministers. D V Sadananda Gowda and Pralhad Joshi, who were Karnataka BJP presidents, along with Belgaum MP Suresh Angadi have found place in the new ministry.

In a balancing act, two dominant communities of Karnataka--Lingayats and Vokkaligas-- have been accommodated in the Narendra Modi-led new council of ministers. D V Sadananda Gowda and Pralhad Joshi, who were Karnataka BJP presidents, along with Belgaum MP Suresh Angadi have found place in the new ministry. Also read: Narendra Modi takes oath as PM for second term, joined by Rajnath, Shah, others in Cabinet Induction of Joshi and Angadi is seen as a move to further consolidate the BJP's base in north Karnataka, where it is already strong. In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had made deep inroads into the south also, which was considered the stronghold of the Congress and the JDS. The BJP had won 25 of the 28 seats in Karnataka. While Sadananda Gowda is a former Karnataka Chief Minister and had served as the minister in the previous Modi government, for Joshi and Angadi, both four-time MPs, it will be their first stint as ministers. Meanwhile, Nirmala Sitharaman, who served as Defence Minister in the previous government, also was inducted into Modi's new Ministry. She represents Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha. With the induction of Gowda and Angadi, representation has been given to two dominant communities in the state- Vokkaligas and Lingayats respectively. Joshi is a Brahmin, the community though does not form larger vote base has been loyal to BJP for long. Sitharaman too is a Brahmin. Region wise, prominence has been given to Mumbai Karnataka in the northern part of the state, considered as a strong bastion of the BJP, as both Joshi and Angadi hail from the region. While Gowda originally belongs to coastal part of the state, he represents Bangalore North seat. However, it is to be noted that though Lingayats were considered as the vote bank of BJP and Vokkaligas for JD(S) and to an extent Congress, what was seen in this Lok Sabha polls is larger consolidation of Hindu votes in favour of the BJP, including backward classes. Also, region wise BJP that was considered to be strong in Mumbai Karnataka and coastal belt and to an extent in Hyderabad Karnataka, has made inroads distinctively into old Mysuru region this time, which was earlier said to be a battlefield reserved for the Congress and JD(S). With the BJP winning 25 of the total 28 seats in the state, there was expectation in the Karnataka unit that members elected from the state would get more representation in the Narendra Modi ministry. The state unit's feelings were clearly articulated by Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa a day ahead of the swearing-inof Modi as prime minister after a landslide win. "I'm going to Delhi, I don't know what is in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mind. As 25 MPs have got elected from here, Karnataka should get more representation is the expectation of every one, 6.5 crore people of Karnataka. I will try to convince them about this," Yeddyurappa had told reporters in response to a question. With expectation of more representation from Karnataka, there is also feeling expecting additional ministerial berth for Lingayat community, since more number of seats were won by Lingayats- nine in all. Also, there is no representation to the SC community for now. D V Sadananda Gowda (Vokkaliga), G M Siddeshwara (Lingayat), along with Ananth Kumar (Brahmin) had found place in the Modi government-1 cabinet in 2014. Later when the cabinet rejig happened, Ramesh Jigajinagi, a dalit leader, was inducted dropping Siddeshwara. Also inducted was Ananth Kumar Hegde (Brahmin). M Venkaiah Naidu, now Vice President of India, and Nirmala Sitharaman had also served as ministers in the previous Modi government. All the three MPs, who were inducted into the ministry Thursday, had defeated their opponents by a huge margin. While Gowda had defeated his opponent Congress' Krishna Byre Gowda from Bangalore North by a margin of 1,47,518 votes, Joshi won the Dharwad Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 2,05,072, defeating Congress' Vinay Kulkarni, a former minister. Angadi too had defeated Congress' Sadhunavar in Belgaum by a margin of 3,91,304 votes.

Two dominant communities given representation in Modi ministry

BJP's ally Shiv Sena has slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her decision to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mamata-banerjee-wont-attend-modis-swearing-in-says-bjp-using-occasion-to-scare-political-points-222479">skip Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony</a>.

"If Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister again, then democracy will be in danger, such doubts were expressed by opponents. Mamata Banerjee was amongst the foremost people who made such noise of fighting against Modi's dictatorship. But Modi has been elected democratically and is taking oath within the constitution," Shiv Sena mouthpiece "Saamna" said in its editorial titled "Ishwariya Yojana".

"Mamata has declined the invitation for the swearing-in ceremony. It is true that there was violence during polls in Bangladesh. Inviting the relatives of those killed in violence cannot be a reason to refuse the invitation. These are Indians and not Bangladeshis and they have a right to be in Prime Minister's swearing-in ceremony like anyone else," it said.

Accusing Mamata and her party Trinamool Congress of not being democratic, the editorial said, "There was a cyclone during elections in Odisha which caused wreaked havoc in the state. Prime Minister helped Odisha in a big way. BJP lost badly in Odisha."

Terming Jagan Mohan Reddy as "vijayi veer" (victorious and brave), the editorial added, "Jagan met Prime Minister and demanded for Andhra. Prime Minister accepted it. BJP lost badly in Andhra Pradesh too."

The editorial praised Modi for not speaking anything against opponents after winning the Lok Sabha polls. "New regime will work with restraint and for humanity, Modi has shown it through his work culture. That is why the world is excited about his swearing-in. Modi's second festival is beginning today."

It also lauded Modi for not inviting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in his swearing ceremony saying that Modi has decided not to work against the sentiments of the people.

"Country being led by Modi is God's plan (ishwariya yojana)," it said. "There are several questions before the country. But those questions can be answered only through mountainous courage of the Prime Minister. This is the significance of his oath-taking ceremony. Modi has accepted to be the guardian of countrymen," it added.

NDA has won 41 out of 48 seats in the state in Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

BJP's ally Shiv Sena has slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her decision to skip Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony. "If Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister again, then democracy will be in danger, such doubts were expressed by opponents.

BJP's ally Shiv Sena has slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her decision to skip Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony. "If Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister again, then democracy will be in danger, such doubts were expressed by opponents. Mamata Banerjee was amongst the foremost people who made such noise of fighting against Modi's dictatorship. But Modi has been elected democratically and is taking oath within the constitution," Shiv Sena mouthpiece "Saamna" said in its editorial titled "Ishwariya Yojana". "Mamata has declined the invitation for the swearing-in ceremony. It is true that there was violence during polls in Bangladesh. Inviting the relatives of those killed in violence cannot be a reason to refuse the invitation. These are Indians and not Bangladeshis and they have a right to be in Prime Minister's swearing-in ceremony like anyone else," it said. Accusing Mamata and her party Trinamool Congress of not being democratic, the editorial said, "There was a cyclone during elections in Odisha which caused wreaked havoc in the state. Prime Minister helped Odisha in a big way. BJP lost badly in Odisha." Terming Jagan Mohan Reddy as "vijayi veer" (victorious and brave), the editorial added, "Jagan met Prime Minister and demanded for Andhra. Prime Minister accepted it. BJP lost badly in Andhra Pradesh too." The editorial praised Modi for not speaking anything against opponents after winning the Lok Sabha polls. "New regime will work with restraint and for humanity, Modi has shown it through his work culture. That is why the world is excited about his swearing-in. Modi's second festival is beginning today." It also lauded Modi for not inviting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in his swearing ceremony saying that Modi has decided not to work against the sentiments of the people. "Country being led by Modi is God's plan (ishwariya yojana)," it said. "There are several questions before the country. But those questions can be answered only through mountainous courage of the Prime Minister. This is the significance of his oath-taking ceremony. Modi has accepted to be the guardian of countrymen," it added. NDA has won 41 out of 48 seats in the state in Lok Sabha polls.

Shiv Sena slams Mamata Banerjee for declining invitation for Modi's swearing-in ceremony

Amid political uncertainty within the party following the severe drubbing it received in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress on Thursday barred its spokespersons from representing the party on news channel debates for a month.

Taking to Twitter, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala requested all media channels and its editors to not place any Congress representatives on their shows.

".@INCIndia has decided to not send spokespersons on television debates for a month. All media channels/editors are requested to not place Congress representatives on their shows," Surjewala tweeted while announcing the party's decision.

This came after Rahul Gandhi, who became the Congress president in 2017, offered to step down from his post at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-parliamentary-party-to-meet-on-june-1-to-elect-leader-222590">Congress Working Committee</a> (CWC) meeting on May 25, taking moral responsibility for the party's dismal performance in the recently concluded 17th general elections.

However, his resignation offer was unanimously rejected by the CWC.So far, several top leaders have met Gandhi and urged him to continue to lead the party.

Sources said that despite senior members making serious attempts to convince the 48-year-old party chief to rethink his decision, he remains unfazed.

These leaders, sources said, maintained that Congress cannot afford to have someone new at the helm for rebuilding the organisation at this juncture and that the responsibility for the defeat is collective and not individual.

The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014, in the outgoing Lok Sabha.

The NDA, on the other hand, registered a massive victory, winning 352 seats to retain power. The BJP alone won 303 seats - its highest tally ever.&nbsp;

Amid political uncertainty within the party following the severe drubbing it received in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress on Thursday barred its spokespersons from representing the party on news channel debates for a month.

Amid political uncertainty within the party following the severe drubbing it received in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress on Thursday barred its spokespersons from representing the party on news channel debates for a month. Taking to Twitter, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala requested all media channels and its editors to not place any Congress representatives on their shows. ".@INCIndia has decided to not send spokespersons on television debates for a month. All media channels/editors are requested to not place Congress representatives on their shows," Surjewala tweeted while announcing the party's decision. This came after Rahul Gandhi, who became the Congress president in 2017, offered to step down from his post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on May 25, taking moral responsibility for the party's dismal performance in the recently concluded 17th general elections. However, his resignation offer was unanimously rejected by the CWC.So far, several top leaders have met Gandhi and urged him to continue to lead the party. Sources said that despite senior members making serious attempts to convince the 48-year-old party chief to rethink his decision, he remains unfazed. These leaders, sources said, maintained that Congress cannot afford to have someone new at the helm for rebuilding the organisation at this juncture and that the responsibility for the defeat is collective and not individual. The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014, in the outgoing Lok Sabha. The NDA, on the other hand, registered a massive victory, winning 352 seats to retain power. The BJP alone won 303 seats - its highest tally ever.

Congress to stay away from TV debates for a month

Narendra Modi <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/live-updates-prime-minister-narendra-modi-swearing-in-ceremony-222770">took oath as the Prime Minister of India </a>for the second time on Thursday. This comes a week after the BJP's massive win in the Lok Sabha elections - the party won 303 of the 542 seats which went to polls and its NDA allies took the tally to 354.

Modi, 68, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering ceremony at the forecourt of majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi with approximately 8000 people in attendance. Top political leaders like Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul, industry leaders like Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata and film fraternity honchos like Karan Johar, Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Raut and a galaxy of leaders from Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries were present at the occasion.

This is fourth time that swearing-in was held in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The last three occasions were - Chandrashekhar in 1990, Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1998 and Narendra Modi in 2014.

Watch:&nbsp;Narendra Modi takes oath as Prime Minister for second consecutive term

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The other top leaders who were sworn-in as Union ministers included <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shah-bjps-chanakya-now-enters-government-222850">BJP chief Amit Shah</a>, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajnath-singh-man-of-all-seasons-carries-vajpayees-legacy-of-ajatshatru-222854">Rajnath Singh</a>, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/known-for-his-performance-nitin-gadkari-likely-to-have-key-ministry-in-modi-20-government-222862">Nitin Gadkari</a>, D V Sadananda Gowda, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/nirmala-sitharaman-the-first-full-time-woman-defence-minister-retained-as-union-minister-222866">Nirmala Sitharaman</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ram-vilas-paswan-master-political-craftsman-who-has-worked-under-six-prime-ministers-222873">Ram Vilas Paswan</a>. 
 
<img alt="Modi Cabinet" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="18dc4ccb-7258-4bfb-8df5-037beb0c1e73" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/N1%20Modi%20Cabinet.jpg" />

While Modi, Singh, Shah, Gadkari, Paswan took oath of office in Hindi, Gowda and Sitharaman took it in English.

Some of the key ministers in the previous Modi government, including Sushma Swaraj, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Maneka Gandhi were not part of the new dispensation.

The Delhi airport witnessed movements of high security personalities since morning as BIMSTEC leaders and dignitaries from several foreign nations arrived in the national capital for the swearing-in ceremony.

Leaders of BIMSTEC countries include President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, President of Myanmar U Win Myint and Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering.

From Thailand, its Special Envoy Grisada Boonrach represented the country. Besides India, BIMSTEC comprises Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan as members.

Kyrgyz President and current chair of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, and Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth also attended the event.

(With inputs from agencies)

Narendra Modi took oath as the Prime Minister of India for the second time on Thursday. This comes a week after the BJP's massive win in the Lok Sabha elections - the party won 303 of the 542 seats which went to polls and its NDA allies took the tally to 354.

Narendra Modi took oath as the Prime Minister of India for the second time on Thursday. This comes a week after the BJP's massive win in the Lok Sabha elections - the party won 303 of the 542 seats which went to polls and its NDA allies took the tally to 354. Modi, 68, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering ceremony at the forecourt of majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi with approximately 8000 people in attendance. Top political leaders like Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul, industry leaders like Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata and film fraternity honchos like Karan Johar, Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Raut and a galaxy of leaders from Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries were present at the occasion. This is fourth time that swearing-in was held in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The last three occasions were - Chandrashekhar in 1990, Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1998 and Narendra Modi in 2014. Watch: Narendra Modi takes oath as Prime Minister for second consecutive term The other top leaders who were sworn-in as Union ministers included BJP chief Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, D V Sadananda Gowda, Nirmala Sitharaman and Ram Vilas Paswan. While Modi, Singh, Shah, Gadkari, Paswan took oath of office in Hindi, Gowda and Sitharaman took it in English. Some of the key ministers in the previous Modi government, including Sushma Swaraj, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Maneka Gandhi were not part of the new dispensation. The Delhi airport witnessed movements of high security personalities since morning as BIMSTEC leaders and dignitaries from several foreign nations arrived in the national capital for the swearing-in ceremony. Leaders of BIMSTEC countries include President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, President of Myanmar U Win Myint and Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering. From Thailand, its Special Envoy Grisada Boonrach represented the country. Besides India, BIMSTEC comprises Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan as members. Kyrgyz President and current chair of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, and Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth also attended the event. (With inputs from agencies)

Narendra Modi takes oath as PM for second term, joined by Rajnath, Shah, others in Cabinet

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/ahead-of-oath-taking-ceremony-pm-modi-pays-tribute-mahatma-gandhi-vajpayee-visits-national-war-memorial-222611">Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday</a> took to Twitter and posted glimpses of his visit at the memorial of 'Father of Nation' Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and Sadaiv Atal Samadhi, the memorial dedicated to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"Motivated by Atal Ji’s life and work, we will strive to enhance good governance and transform lives," Modi tweeted.&nbsp;

"Paid tributes to respected Bapu at Rajghat. This year, we mark the 150th Jayanti of Bapu. May this special occasion further popularise Bapu’s noble ideals and continue inspiring us to empower the lives of the poor, downtrodden and marginalised," the tweet read".

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Paid tributes to respected Bapu at Rajghat. 
 
This year, we mark the 150th Jayanti of Bapu. May this special occasion further popularise Bapu’s noble ideals and continue inspiring us to empower the lives of the poor, downtrodden and marginalised. <a href="https://t.co/7HLOgdXzzx">pic.twitter.com/7HLOgdXzzx</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1133941598490939395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Another tweet read, "We remember beloved Atal Ji every single moment. He would have been very happy to see BJP get such a great opportunity to serve people."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited Rajghat and paid tribute to 'Father of Nation' Mahatma Gandhi. He visited Sadaiv Atal Samadhi and paid tribute to late ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Modi was accompanied by party chief Amit Shah and other BJP leaders.&nbsp;

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We remember beloved Atal Ji every single moment. 
 
He would have been very happy to see BJP get such a great opportunity to serve people. 
 
Motivated by Atal Ji’s life and work, we will strive to enhance good governance and transform lives. 
 
Here are glimpses from ‘Sadaiv Atal.’ <a href="https://t.co/7LXNkU0DP4">pic.twitter.com/7LXNkU0DP4</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1133942542054166529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Before taking oath as the prime minister for the second consecutive term today, Modi on Thursday morning visited National War Memorial and paid tribute to India's martyrs. The memorial is spread over 40 acres and is dedicated to the martyrs. &nbsp;

At the memorial, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman also joined Modi and other BJP leaders. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and Vice Chief of Air Force Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria were also present.

Modi is set to take oath as the prime minister for the second term today evening. The ceremony will be administered by President Kovind and will see as many 8,000 guests in attendance.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took to Twitter and posted glimpses of his visit at the memorial of 'Father of Nation' Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and Sadaiv Atal Samadhi, the memorial dedicated to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took to Twitter and posted glimpses of his visit at the memorial of 'Father of Nation' Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and Sadaiv Atal Samadhi, the memorial dedicated to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "Motivated by Atal Ji’s life and work, we will strive to enhance good governance and transform lives," Modi tweeted. "Paid tributes to respected Bapu at Rajghat. This year, we mark the 150th Jayanti of Bapu. May this special occasion further popularise Bapu’s noble ideals and continue inspiring us to empower the lives of the poor, downtrodden and marginalised," the tweet read". Paid tributes to respected Bapu at Rajghat. This year, we mark the 150th Jayanti of Bapu. May this special occasion further popularise Bapu’s noble ideals and continue inspiring us to empower the lives of the poor, downtrodden and marginalised. pic.twitter.com/7HLOgdXzzx — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 30, 2019 × Another tweet read, "We remember beloved Atal Ji every single moment. He would have been very happy to see BJP get such a great opportunity to serve people." Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited Rajghat and paid tribute to 'Father of Nation' Mahatma Gandhi. He visited Sadaiv Atal Samadhi and paid tribute to late ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Modi was accompanied by party chief Amit Shah and other BJP leaders. We remember beloved Atal Ji every single moment. He would have been very happy to see BJP get such a great opportunity to serve people. Motivated by Atal Ji’s life and work, we will strive to enhance good governance and transform lives. Here are glimpses from ‘Sadaiv Atal.’ pic.twitter.com/7LXNkU0DP4 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 30, 2019 × Before taking oath as the prime minister for the second consecutive term today, Modi on Thursday morning visited National War Memorial and paid tribute to India's martyrs. The memorial is spread over 40 acres and is dedicated to the martyrs. At the memorial, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman also joined Modi and other BJP leaders. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and Vice Chief of Air Force Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria were also present. Modi is set to take oath as the prime minister for the second term today evening. The ceremony will be administered by President Kovind and will see as many 8,000 guests in attendance.

Will strive to enhance good governance and transform lives: PM Modi 

As Prime Minister Modi and the new council of ministers took oath for the Modi government&nbsp;2.0 on Thursday,&nbsp;here's taking a look at the&nbsp;NDA allies who successfully&nbsp;clinched&nbsp;Cabinet portfolios for the new term.&nbsp;

JD(U) and LJP

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)'s Ram Vilas Paswan took oath as the new Union Minister in the Modi 2.0 cabinet held in the national capital at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Paswan, one of the most veteran parliamentarians, was a Cabinet minister in the last government. His party has won all the six seats that it had contested in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

BJP's other ally JD(U) which&nbsp;clinched over 16 seats in the Lok Sabha has announced its absence from the new government.

Ahead of the oath-taking ceremony, Nitish Kumar said he was not going to be part of the new cabinet as it would just be "symbolic participation".

Speaking to reporters, Kumar said, "They (BJP) wanted only one person from JDU in the cabinet, so it would have been just symbolic participation. We informed them that it is okay we don't need it. It is not a big issue, we are fully in NDA and not upset at all. We are working together,no confusion."

PM Modi led BJP and its allies&nbsp;Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) swept away all the seats in Bihar leaving one for the Congress. The NDA got 39 out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Shiromani Akali Dal

Harsimrat Kaur Badal also took oath as the Union Minister in the new Modi led NDA government.

She was the food processing minister during the previous tenure of the government.

The BJP-SAD alliance won only four out of the 13 seats in Punjab in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier reporters had suggested that&nbsp;Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal will not hold any ministerial berth in the Cabinet adding that Harsimrat Kaur Badal will be part of it.

Shiv Sena&nbsp;

Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant&nbsp;who defeated Congress heavyweight Milind Deora from Mumbai will also be part of the new Modi Cabinet. Sawant took oath as the new Union Minister in the swearing-in ceremony today.

BJP's ally from Maharashtra won 18 seats of the 48 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Republican Party of India

BJP's other alliance from Maharashtra, Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Bandu Athawale was also inducted&nbsp;in the Modi 2.0 Cabinet. Athawala was appointed in&nbsp;the Union Minister of State.

The popular Dalit face served as the minister for social justice and empowerment in the previous Narendra Modi Cabinet.

&nbsp;

As Prime Minister Modi and the new council of ministers took oath for the Modi government 2.0 on Thursday, here's taking a look at the NDA allies who successfully clinched Cabinet portfolios for the new term.

As Prime Minister Modi and the new council of ministers took oath for the Modi government 2.0 on Thursday, here's taking a look at the NDA allies who successfully clinched Cabinet portfolios for the new term. JD(U) and LJP Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)'s Ram Vilas Paswan took oath as the new Union Minister in the Modi 2.0 cabinet held in the national capital at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Paswan, one of the most veteran parliamentarians, was a Cabinet minister in the last government. His party has won all the six seats that it had contested in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. BJP's other ally JD(U) which clinched over 16 seats in the Lok Sabha has announced its absence from the new government. Ahead of the oath-taking ceremony, Nitish Kumar said he was not going to be part of the new cabinet as it would just be "symbolic participation". Speaking to reporters, Kumar said, "They (BJP) wanted only one person from JDU in the cabinet, so it would have been just symbolic participation. We informed them that it is okay we don't need it. It is not a big issue, we are fully in NDA and not upset at all. We are working together,no confusion." PM Modi led BJP and its allies Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) swept away all the seats in Bihar leaving one for the Congress. The NDA got 39 out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Shiromani Akali Dal Harsimrat Kaur Badal also took oath as the Union Minister in the new Modi led NDA government. She was the food processing minister during the previous tenure of the government. The BJP-SAD alliance won only four out of the 13 seats in Punjab in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Earlier reporters had suggested that Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal will not hold any ministerial berth in the Cabinet adding that Harsimrat Kaur Badal will be part of it. Shiv Sena Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant who defeated Congress heavyweight Milind Deora from Mumbai will also be part of the new Modi Cabinet. Sawant took oath as the new Union Minister in the swearing-in ceremony today. BJP's ally from Maharashtra won 18 seats of the 48 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Republican Party of India BJP's other alliance from Maharashtra, Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Bandu Athawale was also inducted in the Modi 2.0 Cabinet. Athawala was appointed in the Union Minister of State. The popular Dalit face served as the minister for social justice and empowerment in the previous Narendra Modi Cabinet.

NDA's allies who are part of the Modi 2.0 Cabinet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited Rajghat and paid tribute to 'Father of Nation' Mahatma Gandhi. He visited Sadaiv Atal Samadhi and paid tribute to late ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Modi was accompanied by party chief Amit Shah and other BJP leaders.&nbsp;

Before <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/narendra-modi-ushers-in-second-term-as-prime-minister-222608">taking oath as the prime minister for the second consecutive term today</a>, Modi on Thursday morning visited National War Memorial and paid tribute to India's martyrs. The memorial is spread over 40 acres and is dedicated to the martyrs. &nbsp;

At the memorial, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman also joined Modi and other BJP leaders.&nbsp;Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and Vice Chief of Air Force Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria were also present.

Narendra Modi decimated the opposition to lead the Bharatiya Janata Party to a landslide win in the recent Lok Sabha election. With the win, he became the first prime minister in nearly 5 decades to win a majority in consecutive polls.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. Later today, President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office and secrecy to PM Modi. <a href="https://t.co/5LbxQBuhkW">pic.twitter.com/5LbxQBuhkW</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1133911148716105728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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With the 2019 Lok Sabha poll victory, he has become the first Prime Minister outside of the Congress to win two consecutive terms with a full majority since 1971.

Modi's oath-taking ceremony today will see BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) leaders in attendance.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute at the National War Memorial in Delhi. <a href="https://t.co/fPgkRJoxak">pic.twitter.com/fPgkRJoxak</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1133917263914946560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The bloc's member nations include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand besides India.

Watch: Does any world leader have a bigger mandate than Narendra Modi?

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President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, President of Myanmar U Win Myint, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli, and Thailand's Special Envoy Grisada Boonrach will be present in the national capital Delhi for attending the ceremony.

The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, along with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, will also be present at the event.&nbsp;

 
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited Rajghat and paid tribute to 'Father of Nation' Mahatma Gandhi. He visited Sadaiv Atal Samadhi and paid tribute to late ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited Rajghat and paid tribute to 'Father of Nation' Mahatma Gandhi. He visited Sadaiv Atal Samadhi and paid tribute to late ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Modi was accompanied by party chief Amit Shah and other BJP leaders. Before taking oath as the prime minister for the second consecutive term today, Modi on Thursday morning visited National War Memorial and paid tribute to India's martyrs. The memorial is spread over 40 acres and is dedicated to the martyrs. At the memorial, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman also joined Modi and other BJP leaders. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and Vice Chief of Air Force Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria were also present. Narendra Modi decimated the opposition to lead the Bharatiya Janata Party to a landslide win in the recent Lok Sabha election. With the win, he became the first prime minister in nearly 5 decades to win a majority in consecutive polls. #WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. Later today, President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office and secrecy to PM Modi. pic.twitter.com/5LbxQBuhkW — ANI (@ANI) May 30, 2019 × With the 2019 Lok Sabha poll victory, he has become the first Prime Minister outside of the Congress to win two consecutive terms with a full majority since 1971. Modi's oath-taking ceremony today will see BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) leaders in attendance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute at the National War Memorial in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/fPgkRJoxak — ANI (@ANI) May 30, 2019 × The bloc's member nations include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand besides India. Watch: Does any world leader have a bigger mandate than Narendra Modi? President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, President of Myanmar U Win Myint, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli, and Thailand's Special Envoy Grisada Boonrach will be present in the national capital Delhi for attending the ceremony. The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, along with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, will also be present at the event.

Ahead of oath-taking ceremony, PM Modi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, Vajpayee; visits National War Memorial 

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-to-visit-arun-jaitley-shortly-may-ask-to-reconsider-his-decision-222585">Narendra Modi</a>, who decimated the opposition to lead his party BJP to a landslide win in the recent Lok Sabha election, has become the first prime minister in nearly 50 years to win a majority in consecutive polls.

The 68-year-old stalwart leader is set to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/pm-narendra-modi-oath-ceremony-four-presidents-three-pms-and-millions-glued-on-tv-screens-222583">take oath as the Prime Minister of India for the second consecutive term today</a>.

President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office.

Born on September 17, 1950, Modi, the three-time Chief Minister of Gujarat (2001-2014) fought and won the 2014 general election to become Prime Minister.

Watch: Does any world leader have a bigger mandate than Narendra Modi?

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With the 2019 Lok Sabha poll victory, he has become the first Prime Minister outside of the Congress to win two consecutive terms with a full majority since 1971.

In his first term as PM, his National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government launched several flagship schemes including the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana among others.

He also introduced demonetisation the Goods and Service Tax (GST).

Often termed as the 'People's Leader', Prime Minister Modi, a brilliant orator, is known for his powerful personal connection with the people on the ground.

In the just concluded mammoth elections, Modi plunged headlong into campaigning, addressing 142 rallies and conducting four roadshows.

The election results showed that the BJP gained 21 new seats.

The BJP, which won 282 seats in 2014, improved its tally by notching up 303 seats. Along with its NDA allies, the number swelled to 353 in the 543-member Lower House of the Parliament.

Ever since Modi became Prime Minister his party has formed governments in Assam and Tripura and has emerged as a force to reckon with in states like Odisha and West Bengal.

On the foreign policy front, his initiatives have realised the true potential and role of India on the world stage.

He began his term in office in presence of all heads of States of SAARC Nations. His address to the General Assembly of United Nations was appreciated by many.

Later on, he became the first Indian Prime Minister to embark on a bilateral visit to Nepal after a long period of 17 years, to Australia after 28 years, to Fiji after 31 years and Seychelles after 34 years.

During his first regime, Narendra Modi attended UN, BRICS, SAARC and G-20 Summits, where India's views on a variety of global economic and political issues, especially terrorism, were widely appreciated.

Modi managed to carve out personal equations with world leaders including with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During his visits abroad he actively sold Brand India, articulating a leadership role for India in the world and also leveraging the vast Indian diaspora to national causes.

This time around, Modi has reached out to BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) member-states, whose leaders have confirmed their attendance for his swearing-in ceremony.

The bloc's member nations include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand besides India.

President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, President of Myanmar U Win Myint, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli, and Thailand's Special Envoy Grisada Boonrach will be present in the national capital Delhi for attending the ceremony.

The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, along with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, will also be present at the event.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Narendra Modi, who decimated the opposition to lead his party BJP to a landslide win in the recent Lok Sabha election, has become the first prime minister in nearly 50 years to win a majority in consecutive polls.

Narendra Modi, who decimated the opposition to lead his party BJP to a landslide win in the recent Lok Sabha election, has become the first prime minister in nearly 50 years to win a majority in consecutive polls. The 68-year-old stalwart leader is set to take oath as the Prime Minister of India for the second consecutive term today. President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office. Born on September 17, 1950, Modi, the three-time Chief Minister of Gujarat (2001-2014) fought and won the 2014 general election to become Prime Minister. Watch: Does any world leader have a bigger mandate than Narendra Modi? With the 2019 Lok Sabha poll victory, he has become the first Prime Minister outside of the Congress to win two consecutive terms with a full majority since 1971. In his first term as PM, his National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government launched several flagship schemes including the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana among others. He also introduced demonetisation the Goods and Service Tax (GST). Often termed as the 'People's Leader', Prime Minister Modi, a brilliant orator, is known for his powerful personal connection with the people on the ground. In the just concluded mammoth elections, Modi plunged headlong into campaigning, addressing 142 rallies and conducting four roadshows. The election results showed that the BJP gained 21 new seats. The BJP, which won 282 seats in 2014, improved its tally by notching up 303 seats. Along with its NDA allies, the number swelled to 353 in the 543-member Lower House of the Parliament. Ever since Modi became Prime Minister his party has formed governments in Assam and Tripura and has emerged as a force to reckon with in states like Odisha and West Bengal. On the foreign policy front, his initiatives have realised the true potential and role of India on the world stage. He began his term in office in presence of all heads of States of SAARC Nations. His address to the General Assembly of United Nations was appreciated by many. Later on, he became the first Indian Prime Minister to embark on a bilateral visit to Nepal after a long period of 17 years, to Australia after 28 years, to Fiji after 31 years and Seychelles after 34 years. During his first regime, Narendra Modi attended UN, BRICS, SAARC and G-20 Summits, where India's views on a variety of global economic and political issues, especially terrorism, were widely appreciated. Modi managed to carve out personal equations with world leaders including with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. During his visits abroad he actively sold Brand India, articulating a leadership role for India in the world and also leveraging the vast Indian diaspora to national causes. This time around, Modi has reached out to BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) member-states, whose leaders have confirmed their attendance for his swearing-in ceremony. The bloc's member nations include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand besides India. President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, President of Myanmar U Win Myint, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli, and Thailand's Special Envoy Grisada Boonrach will be present in the national capital Delhi for attending the ceremony. The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, along with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, will also be present at the event.

Narendra Modi to take oath as Prime Minister today

From a counsel holding the brief for the deity 'Ram Lalla' in the Ayodhya title suit to a moderniser spearheading the 'Digital India' initiative and clamping down on contentious practices like instant triple talaq, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad has worn many hats.

Winning his maiden election against colleague-turned opponent Shatrughan Sinha from Patna Sahib seat in Bihar by more than 2.84 lakh votes, 65-year-old Prasad is among the few BJP leaders who have been a minister in every NDA government that came to power at the Centre in last two decades.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/live-updates-prime-minister-narendra-modi-swearing-in-ceremony-222770">Live: Narendra Modi takes oath as PM again along with the council of ministers</a>

Hailing from an RSS background, the lawyer-turned-politician rubbed shoulders with Gandhian-Socialists during Emergency, sharing a jail cell with Lalu Prasad Yadav. The two were office bearers in the Patna University students union during the turbulent 1970s but they later ideologically drifted apart.

Years later, Prasad was the lead lawyer in the Public Interest Litigation against the former Bihar chief minister in the fodder scam case.&nbsp;

Prasad continued to practice law and politics in the BJP, rising to fame as one of the junior ministers in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cabinet. He was Minister of State in the departments of Coal and Mine and Law and Justice. But his most memorable stint was as the Information and Broadcasting minister when he initiated reforms in the radio, television and animation sectors.

When Modi first swept to power in 2014, he was first given the ministries of telecom and information technology and electronics. Later, he was divested of the telecom portfolio. He held the portfolios of law and justice as well as electronics in the outgoing government.

In Modi 2.0 government, he has again become a Cabinet minister. Prasad sworn in as Cabinet minister Thursday.

In the first stint under Modi, the government's flagship Digital India programme was implemented under his watch and drove several initiatives to galvanise electronics and mobile handset manufacturing in the country. Mobile phone manufacturing units in India increased to 120 in 2018 from just 2 in 2014. In the same period, annual production of mobile handsets increased from 60 million units to 225 million units, creating one lakh direct jobs.

He spearheaded programmes for setting up BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) units in smaller towns and cities, and steered the growth of Common Service Centres (CSCs) -- government's rural outreach network for delivery of digital services as well as the new electronics policy that aims to create a USD 400 billion electronic manufacturing ecosystem by 2025, and a separate policy for software to position India as a hub for product development.&nbsp;

An ardent social media user with over 3.2 million followers on Twitter did not stop him from taking a firm stand against social media giants like Facebook and WhatsApp on issues of fake news, data privacy, and election integrity, and has led the charge on draft data protection legislation and tightening of social media rules.

Born to Thakur Prasad, a late Bihar minister and one of the tallest Jana Sangh leaders in the state, Prasad was associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS' students wing since 1970s when he was a student at the Patna University from where he did his M.A. And L.L.B.

Prasad became a member of the BJP national executive in 1995 and was elected to the Rajya Sabha five years later. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee appointed him the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting with independent charge.

His tenure is remembered for the introduction of the Conditional Access System of satellite TV channels which is said to have dealt a body blow to unhealthy trade practices of cable TV operators.

In the decade during which the BJP-led NDA remained out of power and the country was ruled by Congress-headed UPA, Prasad remained one of the most forceful spokespersons for his party.

He represented 'Ram Lalla', one of the three petitioners in the Ayodhya title suit which was decided in September 2010 by the Allahabad High Court which ordered that the disputed site be equally distributed among the claimants the others being the Nirmohi Akhara and the Sunni Waqf Board.

After Narendra Modi's ascension to power in 2014, Prasad was made a cabinet minister with important portfolios like Law and Justice and Electronics and IT.

His tenure was marked by initiatives like a successful auction of telecom spectrum the allocation of which was mired in corruption scandals under the previous UPA dispensation, scrapping of over 100 obsolete laws, and the judicial crackdown on instant triple talaq notwithstanding reservations voiced by the opposition as well as BJP allies.

Under his watch, efforts were made to streamline judicial work through measures like installation of video conferencing facilities at courts and appointment of NyayMitras for faster disposal of pending cases.

He was serving his fourth consecutive term in the Rajya Sabha, to which he was re-elected only last year, before making a surprise Lok Sabha debut in the recent general elections.&nbsp;

From a counsel holding the brief for the deity 'Ram Lalla' in the Ayodhya title suit to a moderniser spearheading the 'Digital India' initiative and clamping down on contentious practices like instant triple talaq, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad has worn many hats.

From a counsel holding the brief for the deity 'Ram Lalla' in the Ayodhya title suit to a moderniser spearheading the 'Digital India' initiative and clamping down on contentious practices like instant triple talaq, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad has worn many hats. Winning his maiden election against colleague-turned opponent Shatrughan Sinha from Patna Sahib seat in Bihar by more than 2.84 lakh votes, 65-year-old Prasad is among the few BJP leaders who have been a minister in every NDA government that came to power at the Centre in last two decades. Live: Narendra Modi takes oath as PM again along with the council of ministers Hailing from an RSS background, the lawyer-turned-politician rubbed shoulders with Gandhian-Socialists during Emergency, sharing a jail cell with Lalu Prasad Yadav. The two were office bearers in the Patna University students union during the turbulent 1970s but they later ideologically drifted apart. Years later, Prasad was the lead lawyer in the Public Interest Litigation against the former Bihar chief minister in the fodder scam case. Prasad continued to practice law and politics in the BJP, rising to fame as one of the junior ministers in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cabinet. He was Minister of State in the departments of Coal and Mine and Law and Justice. But his most memorable stint was as the Information and Broadcasting minister when he initiated reforms in the radio, television and animation sectors. When Modi first swept to power in 2014, he was first given the ministries of telecom and information technology and electronics. Later, he was divested of the telecom portfolio. He held the portfolios of law and justice as well as electronics in the outgoing government. In Modi 2.0 government, he has again become a Cabinet minister. Prasad sworn in as Cabinet minister Thursday. In the first stint under Modi, the government's flagship Digital India programme was implemented under his watch and drove several initiatives to galvanise electronics and mobile handset manufacturing in the country. Mobile phone manufacturing units in India increased to 120 in 2018 from just 2 in 2014. In the same period, annual production of mobile handsets increased from 60 million units to 225 million units, creating one lakh direct jobs. He spearheaded programmes for setting up BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) units in smaller towns and cities, and steered the growth of Common Service Centres (CSCs) -- government's rural outreach network for delivery of digital services as well as the new electronics policy that aims to create a USD 400 billion electronic manufacturing ecosystem by 2025, and a separate policy for software to position India as a hub for product development. An ardent social media user with over 3.2 million followers on Twitter did not stop him from taking a firm stand against social media giants like Facebook and WhatsApp on issues of fake news, data privacy, and election integrity, and has led the charge on draft data protection legislation and tightening of social media rules. Born to Thakur Prasad, a late Bihar minister and one of the tallest Jana Sangh leaders in the state, Prasad was associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS' students wing since 1970s when he was a student at the Patna University from where he did his M.A. And L.L.B. Prasad became a member of the BJP national executive in 1995 and was elected to the Rajya Sabha five years later. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee appointed him the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting with independent charge. His tenure is remembered for the introduction of the Conditional Access System of satellite TV channels which is said to have dealt a body blow to unhealthy trade practices of cable TV operators. In the decade during which the BJP-led NDA remained out of power and the country was ruled by Congress-headed UPA, Prasad remained one of the most forceful spokespersons for his party. He represented 'Ram Lalla', one of the three petitioners in the Ayodhya title suit which was decided in September 2010 by the Allahabad High Court which ordered that the disputed site be equally distributed among the claimants the others being the Nirmohi Akhara and the Sunni Waqf Board. After Narendra Modi's ascension to power in 2014, Prasad was made a cabinet minister with important portfolios like Law and Justice and Electronics and IT. His tenure was marked by initiatives like a successful auction of telecom spectrum the allocation of which was mired in corruption scandals under the previous UPA dispensation, scrapping of over 100 obsolete laws, and the judicial crackdown on instant triple talaq notwithstanding reservations voiced by the opposition as well as BJP allies. Under his watch, efforts were made to streamline judicial work through measures like installation of video conferencing facilities at courts and appointment of NyayMitras for faster disposal of pending cases. He was serving his fourth consecutive term in the Rajya Sabha, to which he was re-elected only last year, before making a surprise Lok Sabha debut in the recent general elections.

Ravi Shankar Prasad: The wily counsel of 'Ram Lalla' and Modi's Digital India minder

BJP President Amit Shah is likely to join the new council of ministers&nbsp;of PM Narendra Modi Cabinet, sources said on Thursday.&nbsp;

Shah's name is an addition to the likes of Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Babul Supriyo and several other names who received a call-up for Modi’s second cabinet.

In Gujarat, Amit Shah had served as home minister in the governments led by Modi. However, Rajnath Singh, who has retained his Lucknow seat, is one of the senior-most party leaders and served as home minister in the first Modi government.

The speculation of Shah’s inclusion had intensified after Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani confirmed that party chief Amit Shah is being inducted into the Narendra Modi Cabinet 2.0. He tweeted congratulating Shah.

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प्रधानमंत्री श्री <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a>जी के नेतृत्व में केन्द्रीय मंत्री मंडल में मजबूत साथी के रूप में सामेल होने पर हमारे पर्थदर्शक एवं मार्गदर्शक श्रध्देय श्री <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitShah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmitShah</a>जी से शुभेच्छा मुलाकात की और शुभकामनाएं दी। <a href="https://t.co/ckzJKEeBA9">pic.twitter.com/ckzJKEeBA9</a>
— Jitu Vaghani (@jitu_vaghani) <a href="https://twitter.com/jitu_vaghani/status/1134050083278737408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Babul Supriyo and several other names were among more than 40 BJP leaders to receive a call-up for Narendra Modi’s second cabinet. Among the names are also leaders of other NDA constituents, including Shiv Sena, JD(U), Akali Dal, LJP and AIADMK.

BJP President Amit Shah is likely to join the new council of ministers of PM Narendra Modi Cabinet, sources said on Thursday. Shah's name is an addition to the likes of Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Babul Supriyo and several other names who received a call-up for Modi’s second cabinet.

BJP President Amit Shah is likely to join the new council of ministers of PM Narendra Modi Cabinet, sources said on Thursday. Shah's name is an addition to the likes of Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Babul Supriyo and several other names who received a call-up for Modi’s second cabinet. In Gujarat, Amit Shah had served as home minister in the governments led by Modi. However, Rajnath Singh, who has retained his Lucknow seat, is one of the senior-most party leaders and served as home minister in the first Modi government. The speculation of Shah’s inclusion had intensified after Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani confirmed that party chief Amit Shah is being inducted into the Narendra Modi Cabinet 2.0. He tweeted congratulating Shah. प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodiजी के नेतृत्व में केन्द्रीय मंत्री मंडल में मजबूत साथी के रूप में सामेल होने पर हमारे पर्थदर्शक एवं मार्गदर्शक श्रध्देय श्री @AmitShahजी से शुभेच्छा मुलाकात की और शुभकामनाएं दी। pic.twitter.com/ckzJKEeBA9 — Jitu Vaghani (@jitu_vaghani) May 30, 2019 × Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Babul Supriyo and several other names were among more than 40 BJP leaders to receive a call-up for Narendra Modi’s second cabinet. Among the names are also leaders of other NDA constituents, including Shiv Sena, JD(U), Akali Dal, LJP and AIADMK.

BJP chief Amit Shah may debut as Union Minister in PM Modi's new cabinet