Narendra Modi Set to Retain Key Ministers in New Government

Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi plans to maintain continuity by retaining major figures from the outgoing administration in his new government. Most senior ministers, including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, will be part of the new Council of Ministers. Over 65 ministers are expected to take the oath, with a few notable exclusions.

Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi is poised to keep key figures from his outgoing government in his new term's Council of Ministers, which will be sworn in on Sunday evening.

A majority of the previous cabinet members, including ministers like Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, and S Jaishankar, are expected to continue in their roles. The list also includes senior members such as Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Hardeep Singh Puri.

Despite the continuity, some surprises are expected. Outgoing information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur, who secured victory in Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur constituency, was not invited for a pre-ceremony meeting with Modi, indicating his likely exclusion. Similarly, previous ministers like Smriti Irani and Parshottam Rupala are also expected to be omitted.

New faces in the cabinet will include BJP leaders such as Manohar Lal Khattar and C R Paatil, as well as allies from the TDP, JD(U), and Shiv Sena. As the government aims to solidify its coalition, allies' members such as Ram Mohan Naidu and Jayant Chaudhary will also be inducted.

Speculation is rife that BJP President J P Nadda, whose tenure ends soon, might join the government. Outgoing ministers like Jyotiraditya Scindia and Bhupender Yadav are also expected to be sworn in again within the new government’s structure.