Modi government's massive Cabinet expansion: Parrikar, Rudy, Suresh Prabhu among those inducted

NEW DELHI: Former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and three others were today inducted into the Union Cabinet as Prime Minister Narendra Modi expanded his Council of Ministers, bringing in 21 new ministers as Shiv Sena kept away from the exercise. 
Suresh Prabhu, a former Shiv Sainik and Power minister in Vajpayee government, senior BJP leader J P Nadda and Jat leader from Haryana Birender Singh, who joined BJP ahead of Assembly elections, were the other Cabinet ministers to take oath of office and secrecy at a function in the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Unresolved issues between Sena and BJP in Maharashtra stopped Sena MP Anil Desai from taking oath as he reportedly returned to Mumbai from the airport after arriving here today morning

Bandaru Dattatreya and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who were ministers in the Vajpayee government, and Mahesh Sharma, newly-elected MP from Gautam Buddh Nagar bordering Delhi, were sworn-in as Ministers of State with Independent Charge.

14 other Ministers of State were sworn-in. They are Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Ram Kripal Yadav, Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary, Sanwar Lal Jat and Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya Giriraj Singh, Hansraj Ahir, Ram Shankar Katheria, Jayant Sinha, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathor .. 

The strength of the Union Council of Ministers goes up from 45 to 66. Of this, 27 including the Prime Minister are of Cabinet rank, 13 Ministers of State with Independent Charge and 26 Ministers of State.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended among others by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson P J Kurien, Modi and his Cabinet colleagues, BJP patriarch L K Advani and the Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states Vasundhara Raje, Raman  .. 

Dattatreya's inclusion gives representation to the new Telangana state in the Union ministry while Rudy makes a comeback into the government. First-time MP Mahesh Sharma seems to be a surprise choice as a Minister of State with Independent Charge given the fact that Naqvi, a former minister, has been given just a Minister of State berth.

Cabinet Ministers

1. Manohar Parrikar (Goa, BJP)

2. Suresh Prabhu (Maharashtra, Shiv Sena)

3. J.P. Nadda (Himachal Pradesh, BJP)

4. Birender Singh (Haryana, BJP)

Minister of State (Independent Charge)

1. Bandaru Dattatreya (Telangana, BJP)

2. Rajiv Pratap Rudy (Bihar, BJP)

3. Mahesh Sharma (Uttar Pradesh, BJP)

Minister of State

1. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (Uttar Pradesh, BJP)

2. Ram Kripal Yadav (Bihar, BJP)

3. Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary (Gujarat, BJP)

4. Sanwar Lal Jat (Rajasthan, BJP)

5. Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya (Gujarat, BJP)

6. Giriraj Singh (Bihar, BJP)

7. Hansraj Gangaram Ahir (Maharashtra, BJP)

8. Ram Shankar Katheria (Uttar Pradesh, BJP)

9. Y.S. Chowdary (Andhra Pradesh, TDP)

10. Jayant Sinha (Jharkhand, BJP)

11. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Rajasthan, BJP)

12. Babul Supriyo (West Bengal, BJP)

13. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Uttar Pradesh, BJP)

14. Vijay Sampla (Punjab, BJP)