New Delhi: BJP chief JP Nadda is returning to the cabinet as Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes the oath for his third consecutive term this evening. Nadda, who served as the health minister from 2014 to 2019, stepped into the role of BJP chief in 2020, succeeding Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister and key party strategist.
In September 2022, Nadda’s tenure was extended to cover the 2024 general election.
This evening, 71 ministers will be sworn in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan alongside PM Modi. The cabinet includes several allies, as the BJP fell short of a majority, winning 240 seats, 32 seats below the required threshold.
Key allies in the spotlight include Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which won 16 seats, and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JD(U)), which added 12 seats to the NDA tally. The TDP is expected to receive four cabinet berths, while JD(U) is likely to secure two. Expected to take oaths today are TDP’s K Rammohan Naidu and Chandrasekhar Pemmasani, along with JD(U)’s Lalan Singh and Ramnath Thakur.
