Cabinet reshuffle: Union Ministers resign, make way for new leaders

Several Union ministers will not be part of the new Cabinet as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government goes for an overhaul ahead of crucial elections to five states.

President of India has accepted the resignations of Union ministers Harsh Vardhan (Health), Ravi Shankar Prasad (Law/IT), Prakash Javadekar (Environment/I&B), Ramesh Pokhriyal (Education), Santosh Gangwar (Labour) and Sadananda Gowda (Chemicals & Fertilizers). 

Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar also resigned, ahead of a massive Cabinet reshuffle. 

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan resigned, taking the resignations upto 13 so far.

Union Minister Chemicals and Fertilizers Sadananda Gowda also stepped down ahead of Cabinet reshuffle.

Governor-designate Thawarchand Gehlot submitted his resignation from membership of Rajya Sabha.

Here’s a list of Union Ministers who have resigned ahead of Modi’s Cabinet rejig:

·         Ravi Shankar Prasad - Union Minister of Law & Justice, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology

·         Prakash Javadekar - Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change; Information & Broadcasting; & Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises

·         Dr Harsh Vardhan - Union Health Minister

·         Sadananda Gowda - Union Minister Chemicals and Fertilizers

·         Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ - Union Minister for Education

·         Santosh Gangwar - Union Labour Minister

·         Debasree Chaudhuri - Minister of State for Woman and Child Development

·         Danve Raosaheb - Minister of State Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

·         Sanjay Dhotre - Minister of State for Education, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology

·         Thawarchand Gehlot - Appointed Guv of Karnataka

·         Pratap Chandra Sarangi - Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries and MSME

·         Rattan Lal Kataria - Minister of State for Jal Shakti

·         Ashwini Choubey - Minister of State for Health

·         Babul Supriyo - Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Narayan Rane are being seen as the frontrunners for a Cabinet berth in the Modi government. They reached New Delhi on Tuesday ahead of the reshuffle.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet reshuffle at 6 pm today, the first in his second term, will bring in big changes with an eye on political and administrative challenges, apart from the upcoming elections.

The exercise comes against the backdrop of a massive review, which has stretched for weeks, undertaken by the BJP top brass of the works of Union ministers and the organisation amid the Covid-19 pandemic. According to reports, the new cabinet will have a special focus on the representation of ‘soshit, pidit, vanchhit and adivasi’ (underprivileged and tribal communities). The current strength of the Council of Ministers is 53, including Modi, and its maximum number can be 81.

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