Modi gives pep talk to minister probables over tea

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a pep talk to the 22 leaders, who will take oath as Union ministers later today, at his official residence on Sunday morning over tea.

Notable among them were Shiv Sena’s Suresh Prabhu, Olympics medalist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar of BJP. The list of 22 new ministers comprising four Cabinet rank and 18 Ministers of State, has been sent to Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Rathore said: “Will be sworn in as minister today, but don’t know what my portfolio is going to be,” adding PM Modi “told me have breakfast with me and take oath”.

The swearing-in will take place at Rashtrapati Bhawan around 1:30 pm in the first expansion of the Modi Cabinet on Sunday.

Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti of BJP who is also going to find a berth in the new Cabinet said, “PM calls himself ‘Pradhan Sevak’, would follow same path.”

Parrikar who had hinted about revision of defence policies a day ago, said today, “I don’t know what Minister, at this point of time I’m just Ex-CM.”

The other prominent members present were BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, singer-turned-MP Babul Supriyo, former Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy, senior BJP leaders Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Bandaru Datttatreya, Vijay Sampla, Ram Kripal Yadav, J P Nadda, Ajay Tamta, Jayant Sinha, Birender Singh, Giriraj Singh, Col Sonaram Chaudhary, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hansraj Ahir, Ramesh Bais, Mohan Kundariya, Virendra Kashyap, Sanwar Lal, Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, Shiv Sena’s Anil Desai and TDP member of Parliament and industrialist-turned-politician Y S Chowdary.

The current strength of the Council of Ministers is 45 including 23 Cabinet ministers and 22 Ministers of State. Of the 22 MoS, 10 hold independent charge.