With an eye on political goals, the Cabinet rejig claims to focus on ‘merit’
New Delhi: With a focus on delivery as he prepares for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday handed key portfolios to ministers with proven track record and sprang a surprise by elevating Nirmala Sitharaman as the first full-time woman Defence Minister.
In a major rejig of his council of ministers, he promoted three junior ministers – Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi – to cabinet rank and inducted nine new faces, including four former government officers, as ministers of state.
The exercise raised the strength of the Union council of ministers from 73 to 76.
Goyal, who has been praised for his work in the power sector, was given the Railways Ministry, which has been facing flak over a spate of accidents, prompting Modi to shift Suresh Prabhu to Commerce and Industry Ministry. Goyal will continue to head the Coal Ministry.
In an overhaul of infrastructure ministries, Modi handed important portfolios to two former IAS officers and one former diplomat, giving them independent charge and brought Nitin Gadkari in place of Uma Bharti in the water resources and Ganga rejuvenation ministry.
Gadkari retained the charge of Road Transport and Highways, where his work has earned him praise. Bharti’s performance was under scrutiny due to lack of visible progress in Modi’s pet Clean Ganga programme. Bharti will take care of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Government sources said the Prime Minister carried out the reshuffle considering performance and rewarding those with proven track record.
Sitharaman, who was the Minister of State with independent charge of Commerce Ministry, emerged the biggest gainer.
She became the first full-time woman defence minister and the second woman to take charge of the key portfolio. Indira Gandhi, as then Prime Minister, had also held the portfolio in the seventies. As the Defence Minister, Sitharaman will be a member of the Cabinet Committee on Security whose members include the Prime Minister, Home Minister, External Affairs Minister and the Finance Minister.
Pradhan and Naqvi retained portfolios of Oil and Gas and Minority Affairs respectively. Pradhan was given the additional charge of skill development ministry, which was held by Rajiv Rudy who quit the post recently.
JD-U spokesperson K C Tyagi said after swearing in that his party was not invited to join the government. BJP’s long-time ally Shiv Sena too was unhappy with its non-inclusion in the Cabinet. The NDA was ‘almost dead’ and that BJP remembered it only when it needed support, Sena sources said.
CM greets new ministers
Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday congratulated all Union ministers soon after their swearing in and sought their support for Orissa. In a tweet, Patnaik said, “Congratulation to all ministers on swearing in. My best wishes & I look forward to support & cooperation for #Odisha # CabinetReshuffle” (sic). Meanwhile, BJP state unit in Orissa claimed that Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s elevation to Cabinet rank manifests the Centre’s priority to Orissa. The ruling BJD also requested the ministers representing Orissa to ensure that state’s interests are protected. Party spokesperson Prasant Nanda said the reshuffle should benefit Orissa.
Agencies
