Modi’s Third Act: New Faces in the Cabinet and Those Who Didn’t Make the Cut

Narendra Modi, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), took the oath as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term on Sunday in New Delhi. This event marks a historic moment as Modi becomes the second Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to secure a third term. In addition to Modi, 72 leaders were sworn in as members of the Modi Cabinet, reflecting a significant and extensive team to support his administration.

The new Modi Cabinet comprises 30 Cabinet Ministers, five Ministers of State with Independent Charge, and 36 Ministers of State. This diversified team demonstrates a strategic blend of experienced leaders and new faces aimed at driving the government’s agenda forward in Modi’s third consecutive term as Prime Minister.

Ministers that remain a part of Modi’s cabinet include Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Piyush Goyal, Nitin Gadkari, S. Jaishankar, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Nirmala Sitharaman. Sitharaman is the only woman from the previous cabinet who is still part of Modi 3.0. 

New Faces, New Allies 

The new Modi 3.0 Cabinet includes several allies who have been given representation, with some taking oath as Cabinet Ministers or Ministers of State. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is represented by HD Kumaraswamy, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, and Virendra Kumar. 

From the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Sarbananda Sonowal have been included. The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has Chirag Paswan in the cabinet, while the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) is represented by Jayant Chaudhary. Hamro Sarkar (HAM) also has Jitan Ram Manjhi as part of the new cabinet. 

The new Modi 3.0 Cabinet includes several prominent BJP leaders serving as Ministers of State for the first time. Jagat Prakash Nadda, the BJP President and a Rajya Sabha MP, has been appointed Minister of State (Independent Charge). Nadda’s inclusion underscores his influential role within the BJP and leadership capabilities. 

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, a former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and an MP from the state, is also serving as a Minister of State for the first time. His extensive experience in governance and solid political presence in Madhya Pradesh make him a valuable addition. 

Manohar Lal Khattar, another BJP member and former Chief Minister of Haryana, has been appointed Minister of State, reflecting his significant contributions to the party and his state.

Ministers Dropped from Modi Cabinet

About 30 ministers from the previous cabinet have been dropped by Modi this term. Among the most prominent ministers from Modi’s previous cabinet who were omitted are Smriti Irani, Anurag Thakur, Narayan Tatu Rane, and Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The exclusion of these ministers, who held important portfolios in the previous government, is notable.

Smriti Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs in Modi 2.0 lost the Lok Sabha election from Amethi to Congress leader Kishori Lal Sharma.  Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Electronics and Information Technology, lost the Lok Sabha election from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

Narayan Tatu Rane, the former Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, won the Lok Sabha election from Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg but was not included in the new cabinet. Anurag Thakur, the former Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports, won the Lok Sabha election from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur but was not retained in the Modi 3.0 Cabinet.