New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hit the ground running and will hold his first Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. However, Modi is still keeping his ministers guessing on portfolio allocation.
Rajnath Singh, who was the first to take oath after Modi on Monday, is likely to be the Home Minister. Sushma Swaraj may become the External Affairs Minister.
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Arun Jaitley, who lost the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, is likely to look after the Finance Ministry along with the additional charge of Defence. "The new government has taken up the responsibility. I will speak once I get my portfolio," Jaitley said on Monday, remaining silent on the ministry he is getting. Nitin Gadkari may get Surface and Shipping Transport Ministries
Modi's Cabinet has 24 ministers of the Cabinet rank, 11 Ministers of State with Independent charge and 10 Ministers of State.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was earlier a BJP spokesperson, is now likely to be in charge of Law and Telecom. Bangalore MP Ananth Kumar could head the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry.
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Prakash Javadekar, who is likely to get Information and Broadcasting and Environment, said the Modi Cabinet will work as a team. This even as he remained tight-lipped on the ministry being given to him. "Let it come officially, may be today or tomorrow the portfolios will come. But we will definitely work as a team, so I have views on Press freedom, I'm a member of the Press Council and as far as environment is concerned, we are already working on the environment," he said, speaking to IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai.
Allies TDP, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal and Lok Janshakti Party also have representation in the Modi Cabinet - Gajapati Raju, who is likely to get Civil Aviation, Anant Geete and Harsimrat Kaur, who is likely to get Food Processing. Ram Vilas Paswan could head Food and Civil Supplies.
Seven women are part of the Modi Cabinet including Smriti Irani, who is most likely to get the Human Resources Development Ministry. She too remained silent on her portfolio. "We will work very hard for the development of the country. I can't speculate on my portfolio, but I will put my best at what I get. We have made promises in the manifesto, which we have to follow," she said. Maneka Gandhi is likely to get Women and Child Welfare and Najma Heptullah is likely to be the Minority Affairs Minister.
Former Army chief General VK Singh could be MoS with Independent charge of the North East Affairs and MoS MEA. The new government comprises 46 ministers including Modi. 24 of them are of the Cabinet rank, 11 Ministers of State with Independent charge and 10 Ministers of State.
While speculations continue over portfolios, newly sworn-in Cabinet Minister Uma Bharti on Monday committed a faux pas on Twitter after she revealed her portfolio even before its official announcement. A message was posted from her Twitter account that she has got the portfolio of Water Resources. Later another message was posted from her account saying that the earlier tweet was posted by mistake. The original tweet was at the same time deleted.
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