Southern Surge: New Ministers from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu Join Modi's Team

Over a dozen parliamentarians from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu joined the Modi-led Council of Ministers. Prominent figures include H D Kumaraswamy, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Pralhad Joshi. Their induction is seen as a strategic reward for BJP's coalition partners in the southern states.

New Delhi witnessed a significant political realignment as over a dozen parliamentarians from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu were inducted into the Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Among the inducted were key political figures such as JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, as well as BJP stalwarts Nirmala Sitharaman and Pralhad Joshi, who previously held Cabinet positions.

The grand ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan saw Union Minister of State from the previous Modi government, Shobha Karandlaje, alongside former state minister V Somanna, both from the BJP, taking oath. Kumaraswamy, representing the dominant Vokkaliga community and included from JD(S)'s quota, was granted Cabinet rank, akin to Sitharaman and Joshi, while Karandlaje and Somanna were designated Ministers of State.

The BJP's coalition strategy paid off as the NDA secured 19 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. From Andhra Pradesh, TDP MPs K Rammohan Naidu and Chandrasekhar Pemmasani, along with BJP's Srinivasa Varma, joined the cabinet, with Pemmasani becoming the richest minister. Kerala's lone BJP Lok Sabha MP, Suresh Gopi, and senior leader George Kurian were also inducted, the latter’s inclusion signaling BJP's outreach to the Christian community. From Telangana, Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, and from Tamil Nadu, L Murugan were added to Modi's new government.