sign in sign up
<<
Home , 11th Lok Sabha, 16th Lok Sabha, Amit Shah, Ananth Kumar, Anant Geete, Anjali Damania

THE SWEARING-IN

RIL’s (left) and Adani Group’s Gautam Adani Rajan Mittal (left) and Rakesh Jhunjhunwala Sonia (left) with L K Advani

> TRANSPORT & SHIPPING MINISTRY > HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI Date & year of birth:May 27, 1956 A seasoned politician Date & year of birth:March 23, 1976 Constituency: , Constituency: RS member from Whether represented the constituency before: No Whether represented the constituency before: No Whether held ministerial charge earlier: No Whether held ministerial charge earlier: No The actress-turned-politician stands out and RSS favourite among BJP members for her meteoric rise within the party ranks. Irani is one of the has distanced himself from veterans L K Advani & M M vice-presidents of the BJP. A member from Gujarat, Irani is said to be close > HOME MINISTRY DATE OF BIRTH: to . Although she lost out to July 10, 1951 from this time, she had haratiya (BJP) mounted a spirited campaign. Irani contested the elections for President Rajnath Singh is CONSTITUENCY: the first time on a BJP ticket in 2004 against from known to be one of the “most cunning” politicians, having . She lost the election. Irani was a household swiftly worked his way up in name, thanks to her role in popular teleserial Kyunki Saas Bhi Bthe party. With an eye on the prime min- Kabhi Bahu Thi. She was appointed national secretary of the CONSTITUENCIES isterial post, he placed his bets on former party in 2010 and thereafter the president of the BJP Mahila Gujarat Chief Narendra Modi, REPRESENTED IN Morcha. In 2011, Irani was appointed as Member of whom he had expelled from the party’s THE PAST: from Gujarat to the Rajya Sabha and made party vice-president parliamentary board (the highest deci- Ghaziabad in 2012. Irani, who is perceived as a younger in sion-making body) during his first presi- the Modi camp, has been quite vocal in her stint in the upper dential stint from 2005 to 2009. (2009-2014) Singh, according to party sources, thou- House raising issues of women empowerment and crime ght he would be the natural choice for the WHETHER HELD against women. She is one of younger Cabinet ministers in the prime minister’s post should the BJP fail to MINISTERIAL Modi government. get a majority on its own. Singh became CHARGE the BJP president as a compromise candi- EARLIER: date. Since the sparring factions within the > MINORITY AFFAIRS BJP and its progenitor, the Rashtriya Swaya- Union surface msevak Sangh could not agree on any oth- transport NAJMA A HEPTULLA Nitin Gadkari, the former BJP president, defeated seven-time MP er name, after then party president Nitin minister Date & year of birth:April 13, 1940 and veteran from the Nagpur con- Gadkari resigned following allegations of (1999-2000); stituency, which houses the RSS headquarters, in his debut Lok corruption, they had to settle on Singh. Constituency: Rajya Sabha member from Sabha election. Singh, 63, became a member of the RSS Union Whether represented the constituency before: No Gadkari, who had to resign as party president in January 2013, at 13 and was elected from the agriculture Whether held ministerial charge earlier: No in the wake of allegations over his Purti group of companies at Assembly seat in 1977. Singh, who used to minister a crucial juncture when he was seeking a second term, is now teach Physics, became Heptulla is likely to be the oldest member of (2003-2004); firmly back at the BJP high table. in the UP government in 1991, state party the Cabinet. She is the grand-niece of He started his 35-year political career as a member of the Akhil president in 1997, and Union cabinet min- Maulana and related to Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and graduated to the RSS and ister for surface transport in 1999. of Uttar actor . She was first elected to the then to the BJP. Till date, he is considered the Sangh’s “blue- He was chief minister of Pradesh Rajya Sabha in 1980; she was deputy eyed boy”. from 2000 to 2002. Singh is a strong sup- chairperson of the Rajya Sabha from 1989 to Gadkari’s stint as the public works department (PWD) minister porter of construction of a Ram temple at (2000-2002) in the Maharashtra government from 1995 to 1999 is significant the disputed site. Of late, he seemed to have 2004. Heptulla was at the fore of the for his initiative in the infrastructure sector, most notably the distanced himself from the old guard (L.K. Congress’s women and minority leadership in the late ’80s and - expressway. Advani and Murli ) of the ’90s. She switched to the BJP in 2004, complaining she was Gadkari brokered peace between sulking leaders L K Advani, BJP and emerged as a close confident of personally humiliated by Congress president . In a Sushma Swaraj and on one side and Modi. Though he doesn’t enjoy much career spanning about four decades, Heptulla has been part of Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh on the other. ground support in his state, he continues to Rajnath Singh and President Pranab exchange greetings after the BJP several parliamentary committees; this will be her first stint as A successful businessman, he is associated with several compa- be a favourite of the RSS. president was sworn in at the in New on Monday minister. She is the only minister from the Muslim community nies, co-operatives and sugar plants in Nagpur and the Vidharba in the Modi Cabinet. Heptulla, along with , region of Maharashtra. is one of the two Muslim faces of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha. In Gadkari is also credited to be the brain behind former prime minister A B Vajpayee’s Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. 2013, she said it was “a historical fact that during BJP rule in Anti-corruption activist had levelled allega- Gujarat, only one communal riot took place and since then, no tions of corruption against Gadkari. He now has clearly put all With Modi’s confidence in such incident has taken place there. But in the same Godhra, that behind him, as he starts a new innings as a Union Cabinet during the rule of erstwhile Congress regime, 400 riots had minister. him, has his task cut out occurred.” > WATER RESOURCES > RAILWAYS > FINANCE & DEFENCE DATE OF BIRTH: Dec 28, 1952 D V SADANANDA GOWDA Date & year of birth:May 3, 1959 Date & year of birth:March 18, 1953 CONSTITUENCY: Constituency: Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh Although Arun Jaitley lost in his Lok Sabha election Rajya Sabha MP Constituency: North Constituencies represented: Jhansi (‘89, ‘91, ‘96); Khajuraho (‘98) debut from Amritsar this year, Prime Minister Whether represented the constituency before: No Narendra Modi’s confidence in him remained intact. from Gujarat Whether held ministerial charge earlier: Yes Jaitley, tipped to be the in the new PREVIOUS TERMS: Whether held ministerial charge earlier: No A few years ago, she had called Narendra government, has the task cut out: To make the ailing 2000-2005, Sadananda Gowda, shot into fame after Modi “vinash purush”, but on Monday economy turnaround. He might also be given addi- assuming the post of chief minister of tional charge of defence. 2006-2011 and firebrand BJP leader Uma Bharti was one of in August 2011, following the In the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from 2012 the 23 parliamentarians who has willingly regime, he had held the portfolio of commerce and resignation of mentor B S Yeddyurappa. He is joined his Cabinet. Bharti won her fourth Lok industry, stoutly putting forth developing countries’ MINISTERIAL considered to be an upright and clean Sabha election with a margin of 190,000 stand at the ministerial meet CHARGE HELD politician. As chief minister, he strived hard votes from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh. Bharti, 55, at Cancun in 2003. EARLIER: MoS to improve the image of the party’s was born to a backward peasant family in Dunda village, Jaitley, 61, was born into a Punjabi family. His father (Ind.) for I&B (Oct government that had been tarnished due to allegations of Madhya Pradesh and her formal education is only up to Class 6. was a lawyer. Jaitley graduated from the University of ’99- Sep’00); corruption, mainly on the issue illegal mining in Karnataka. He She entered into politics in early 80’s and contested her first Delhi, in 1977. He was also a successful lawyer. He also Disinvestment introduced various schemes such as Sakaala, aimed at election at the age of 25. She lost only to win the Khajuraho seat held the ministry of law and justice. Arun Jaitley after taking the oath providing time-bound services at government offices. This background would stand him in good stead at (Dec ’99-Jul ’00); in Madhya Pradesh's region five years later. She However, due to factional feud, the party was voted out of a time when the entire new law — Direct Taxes Code — the opposition by the previous minister, A K Antony, on Law (Jul ’00-Nov shot into fame for her organising skills and fiery speeches is to be worked upon, the fate of Goods and Services Tax an increase in the foreign direct investment (FDI) cap on ’00); Union power during the Karnataka Assembly elections during May during the controversial - hangs in balance, a stance is to be made clear on retro- defence manufacturing from 26 per cent. His experience minister for Law 2013, and D V Sadananda Gowda was elected as the opposition movement that resulted in the demolition of the in spective amendments to the Income Tax Act and hence as a former would help him find the (Nov ’00-Jul ’02); leader of legislative council. After becoming the CM, his 1992. appointed Bharti, a sworn celibate, a Vodafone tax row. In the earlier NDA ministry, Jaitley way. Besides, there is demand of a rise in defence expen- Shipping (Nov equations with his Yeddyurappa soured. Gowda has never held minister in his council of ministers. Bharti was later sent to also held the portfolio of for disinvest- diture from ~2.24 lakh crore, pegged in the interim any positions in the Centre. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Madhya Pradesh to contest Assembly elections and she led a ment, now a department which would come under Budget for 2014-15. As the finance minister, Jaitley ’00-Sep ’01); Gowda won from Bangalore North by a margin of 229,764 votes successful campaign against then Chief Minister . him if he becomes the finance minister. would be in a better position to balance the demand and Commerce (Jan against Congress' C Narayan Swamy. This will be his third term in She became CM but had to resign within a few months. As the , he will have to take a call on constraints on resources. ’03-May ’04) the Lok Sabha after being elected in 2004 and 2009 polls.

> HEALTH > TRIBAL AFFAIRS > NOT AVAILABLE > HEAVY INDUSTRIES HARSH VARDHAN Date & year of birth:December 13, 1954 Date & year of birth:, 1961 Date & year of birth:June 2, 1951 Date & year of birth:July 1, 1941 Constituency: Chandni Chowk Constituency: Sundargarh, Constituency: Raigad (Maharashtra) Constituency: Deoria, Uttar Pradesh Whether represented the constituency before: No Whether represented the constituency before: No Whether represented the constituency before: Yes Whether represented the constituency before: No Whether held ministerial charge earlier: Held portfolios in Whether held ministerial charge earlier: Yes Whether held ministerial charge earlier: Yes Whether held ministerial charge earlier: No Delhi Oram is one of the vice-presidents of the BJP. When Anant Geete was renominated against Mishra represents the powerful Brahmin Harsh Vardhan, who has now been rewarded He is the party’s Scheduled Tribe face in the NCP minister in Raigad in the Lok lobby in Uttar Pradesh. Mishra has been with a ministerial berth at the Centre after a Modi Cabinet. He is also the president of BJP’s Sabha polls, his detractors within accommodated as a Minister in the Modi long stint in the Delhi politics, is a doctor. Odisha unit and, therefore, represents his had predicted his defeat. A close confidant of government. He, along with , Vardhan’s association with Narendra Modi state as also tribals in the Union Cabinet. He Shiv Sena chief late and his son was part of the BJP leadership in Uttar goes back to the time when Modi was in- was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 and Uddhav, Geete prefers to keep a low profile Pradesh that former prime minister Atal charge of Punjab, and Himachal then in 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 from and work for the party. Geete comes from the Bihari Vajpayee nursed. Mishra was upset Pradesh. He is still known to be a close Sundargarh (reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidate) Kunbi community. He was attacked by party veteran and with Vajpayee for being asked to contest from Deoria; associate of Modi. The former president of the BJP’s Delhi unit constituency. He is the BJP’s only Lok Sabha candidate who won former leader of opposition in the Assembly Ramdas Kadam for nonetheless, he won from that constituency. Mishra became started his political career with the RSS and was elected to the from Odisha. The rest 20 seats were won by the Biju . creating a rift between Kunbi and Maratha communities. After RSS pracharak for after having finished his post- first Vidhan Sabha in 1993. He held portfolios of education, Oram, along with , will be the two his victory, Uddhav appointed him as the Shiv Sena group graduation in 1963. During , he was arrested for health and law in the Delhi government between 1993 and ministers from Odisha in the Cabinet. Pradhan will be a minister leader in the . Before elected for the first time to 19 months. In 1978, he was elected a Rajya Sabha member; in 1998. Vardhan has formerly been the national vice-president of state with independent charge. Born in a poor tribal family at the in 1996 polls, Geete worked as the Shiv Sena 1979, he became the president of the Janata Yuva Morcha. After and also a member of the national executive of the BJP for many Kendudihi, a village in Odisha's Sundargarh district, Oram corporator during 1985-1992 in 's richest civic body, the completing his Rajya Sabha term, Mishra returned to state years. Vardhan who has been Delhi BJP Pradesh president four created history when he became the first Union tribal affairs BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation. He also assumed the politics. He was elected an MLA in 1983 and came into his own as times, was once again made the Delhi unit chief in the run-up minister. Oram has a diploma in electrical engineering and post of chairman of the powerful standing committee between the party’s organisation man in UP. In 1991, Mishra, along with to the Assembly poll campaign, which proved fruitful for the worked for five years with Bhel, before he decided to quit and 1990 and 1992. During the BJP-led NDA government, he BJP leaders and Rajendra Kumar Gupta, helped party winning 32 out of the 70 seats in the fray. join politics. replaced as the union minister for power. the party form a government in Lucknow with full majority.

Portfolios mentioned for all ministers are based on media reports. No official announcement on distribution of portfolios was made as at the time of going to press; Text: BS Reporters; Pics: Sanjay K Sharma & PTI BJP’s (right) with SP’s Mulayam Singh BJP’s L K Advani with and his mother Kokilaben Congress’ P Chidambaram with TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu Actor with former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar

> FOOD, CIVIL SUPPLIES, CONSUMER AFFAIRS > LAW & TELECOM RAM VILAS PRASAD Date & year of birth:July 5, 1946 Once the youngest Cabinet Date & year of birth:August 30, 1954 Constituency: , Constituency: RS MP from Bihar Whether represented the constituency before: Yes Whether represented the constituency before: No Whether held ministerial charge earlier: Yes minister, now a veteran Whether held ministerial charge earlier: Yes , the chief of the Lok The Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Janshakti Party (LJP), is back in the Lok Sabha till now, , a Sabha. The LJP chief’s credentials SUSHMA SWARAJ, who was critical of Modi earlier, will have to build bridges with him member of the BJP’s national executive, was helped him to tie up with the BJP in a pre- born on August 30, 1954. Prasad, who is also a poll alliance ditching the United distinguished senior advocate in the Progressive Alliance (UPA), as Narendra > EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DATE OF BIRTH: Supreme Court, has rendered his legal Modi was keen to reach out to . Feb 14, 1952 services to the party representing senior ushma Swaraj, former Paswan is known to be politically astute often derided as a leaders as well as filing a petition on behalf of “Ram Lalla” in Leader of the Opposition CONSTITUENCY: “political opportunist”: He has served as Union minister in the Ram Janmabhoomi case. The BJP leader from Bihar, who in Parliament, has good Vidisha different governments from the , the National administrative experi- has had three terms from the Rajya Sabha, has had several Democratic Alliance (NDA) to the United Progressive Alliance ence. She had handled WHETHER stints as Union minister. He became the minister of state for (UPA). In 2004, he had parted ways with the NDA and manyS important portfolios. coal and mines in 2001 in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. REPRESENTED aligned with the Congress-led alliance. Riding on the Modi Swaraj’s big task this time, besides Later, he was given additional charge of the ministry of law and wave, the LJP has won six seats from Bihar this time. He was being a part of the government, CONSTITUENCY justice in 2003. As minister of state (independent charge) for the Union minister of labour and welfare in the V P Singh will be to build bridges with the BEFORE: 2009 information and broadcasting ministry, he was instrumental in government in 1989. In 1996, he became the Union railway man who is, in a sense, her boss, initiating reforms in the radio and television industry. He is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. minister and was in office till 1998. Subsequently, he was MINISTERIAL credited with establishing as the location of the She has been critical of him and CHARGE HELD Union communications minister from October 1999 to some of his decisions. This may International Film Festival of India. Prasad, who started his September 2001, after which he was coal and mines mean that she will not have his EARLIER: Union political career as a student leader in the 1970s during the JP minister till April 2002. His constituency, Hajipur, a reserved ears as much as young women I&B minister movement, was imprisoned during the Emergency. constituency from where he has won eight times has leaders such as . (’96); Union benefited from his largesse during his several stints at the When Nitin Gadkari resigned minister for as the president of the BJP, Swaraj > WOMEN & CHILD WELFARE Centre with a Zonal railway headquarters and several I&B and Central institutes. In 2009, he had lost to the Janata Dal was asked to replace him; she (United)’s , a former chief minister, by declined. That might have been a telecom (‘98); 37,954 votes in 2009. tactical error: Had she taken the Union I&B Date & year of birth:August 26, 1956 job then, it would have been minister (Sep Constituency: Swaraj leading the party into vic- tory. Who knows what might have ‘00-Jan’03); Whether represented the constituency before: Yes > CHEMICALS & FERTILISER been in store. Union minister Whether held ministerial charge earlier: Yes Swaraj is respected in party cir- for health & cles and known widely outside it. Maneka Gandhi, the other Gandhi daughter- Date & year of birth:July 22, 1959 If the BJP has a serious feminist, it family welfare in-law, has not got the Union environment has to be Swaraj. It was after a and ministry, a post she has held before and has Constituency: Bangalore South constituency campaign she fought long and parliamentary retained the passion for ever since. Under Whether represented the constituency before: Yes hard within the organisation that affairs (Jan Narendra Modi, she has done one better, is a third of all party posts were Whether held ministerial charge earlier: Yes ‘03-May ‘04) likely to be appointed a cabinet minister in reserved for women. Having charge of Human Resource Development, a Kumar is a six-time Lok Sabha MP, grown up in a Sangh family, Swaraj portfolio the BJP has always given importance and weightage winning consecutively from Bangalore began her political journey from South constituency from 1996. He was the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi to. Maneka has seen a lot in her tumultuous personal and secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad or ABVP. She married political life and seen it early. Born in August 26, 1956, Maneka, Parishad from 1982 to 1985, its national , a socialist, and finishing her college in Delhi, marrying in 1974, secretary from 1985 to 1987, secretary of came in contact with many social- Sushma Swaraj (right) greets President during the widowed at the age of 23 in 1980, falling out with her mother- the BJP in Karnataka and then general ist leaders. swearing-in ceremony in-law to form a political outfit in 1983, she became a Union secretary from 1988 to 1995. Currently, he is one of the minister at just 33 in 1989. She was given the environment party's national general secretaries. In the 1998-2004 NDA ministry with an independent charge as minister of state. She government, Kumar was cabinet minister for Culture, Youth grabbed that chance, to carve a niche for herself in the Delhi Affairs and Sports; then of Tourism and Culture and later circles and beyond as an avid animal rights activist. At the same also handled the Urban Development and Poverty The man of similes may time, she nurtured her pocket-borough Pilibhit ensuring that Alleviation portfolio, with the additional charge of Rural she is now veteran seven-time MP having lost from her base Development. Kumar is known to be close to veteran leader only once in 1991 and vacating it in 2009 for her son to win from L K Advani, as also Sushma Swaraj. His entry into the cabinet steer business in the House Aonla instead. Her son won Pilibhit in 2009. is clearly Modi's effort to keep the Advani camp in good humour. What has also worked for Kumar is that his rival, B > DATE & YEAR OF S Yeddyurappa, has been asked to focus on Karnataka. PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS > RURAL DEVELOPMENT Kumar has also been embroiled in controversies. In August BIRTH: 2005, a public interest by lawyer M July 1, 1949 alleged Kumar when minister had misused public funds for Naidu describes himself as someone from CONSTITUENCY: Date & year of birth:December 12, 1949 paying his mobile telephone bills and for other private a farming community. During his political RS MP from Constituency: , Maharashtra expenditure. Lawyer R K Anand, also a Congress party career, he has taken up the cause of farmers member, alleged Kumar was one of the contacts of lobbyist frequently. Famous for his oratorical skills Whether represented the constituency before: No . The listed Kumar as one of from his days as a youth leader, he has been WHETHER Whether held ministerial charge earlier: No India's most corrupt in early 2014 and Kumar filed a the BJP’s pre-eminent leader from southern India since the ’80s. REPRESENTED THE From an activist of the Akhil Bharatiya defamation case against AAP leader . Naidu was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak CONSTITUENCY Vidyarthi Parishad to union minister, Sangh (RSS) volunteer and later joined the BEFORE: No Gopinath Munde has come a long way. BJP’s student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Munde was first elected to the Maharashtra > FOOD PROCESSING Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He was impris- WHETHER HELD Assembly from Renapur constituency in Beed oned under the Maintenance of Internal MINISTERIAL in 1980 but lost in the 1985 elections. He was Security Act during the Emergency — from CHARGE EARLIER: re-elected from the constituency in 1990. He Date & year of birth:July 25, 1966 1975 to 77. Naidu was an MLA from 1978 to Minister for Rural entered the Lok Sabha in 2009 and was appointed as BJP's 1983, president of the All India BJP youth Constituency: , Punjab Development in wing from 1980 to 1985, state president of deputy leader in the lower House. Munde belongs to backward Whether represented the constituency before: Yes Andhra Pradesh BJP from 1993 to 2000, the NDA Vanjari community. The BJP is expected to go to state Assembly government Whether held ministerial charge earlier: No and BJP national general-secretary in 1998. elections under Munde's leadership. Munde, along with Shiv He was the party spokesman from 1996 Sena supremo late Bal Thackeray, is recognised as the game Harsimrat Kaur Badal is an MP from to 2000, bringing to the job his panache for changer for the saffron alliance to dislodge the Congress rule (BJP)’s long time quirky alliterations and similes. Unlike and form the first saffron alliance government in 1995. He was alliance partner the Shiromani . most politicians from southern India, Deputy Chief Minister during the Sena-BJP rule during 1995-99 Badal who was born on July 25, 1966, is Naidu made an effort to master , three year term— from 2002 —, but quit in As rural development minister, Naidu was and held ministries of home, power, irrigation. Sidelined by the going on to address public rallies in north- 2004 when the National Democratic credited with initiating and effective imple- the wife of Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab party and the rising rift with Nitin Gadkari, Munde had staged . Re- elected from ern India. Alliance lost power in that year’s Lok Sabha mentation of the ‘ gram He was elected the BJP president for a elections. He was succeeded by L K Advani. sadak yojana’ rebellion twice to assert his position but he was calmed down Bathinda constituency, Badal successfully by L K Advani and others. Though Munde and Pawar are rivals, defeated a four-party combine (Peoples Party of Punjab they have one thing in common — their date of birth is (PPP), Congress, CPI and the SAD-Longowal) led by her December 12. RSS stalwart late Vasantrao Bhagwat and late husband’s cousin Manpreet Badal. Badal, the daughter- > AGRICULTURE > CIVIL AVIATION had suggested Munde's name to lead the in-law of Chief Minister , was first Maharashtra unit in 1980. However, Munde succeeded in elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009. Not only has she been RADHA transforming BJP's image as a party of upper castes. married into a political family, her brother Date & year of birth: Date & year of birth:June 16, 1951 Majithia, is an Akali MLA from Majitha. September 1, 1949 Constituency: Vizianagaram > Constituency: East Champaran Whether represented the constituency before: Yes NOT AVAILABLE > NOT AVAILABLE Whether represented the Whether held ministerial charge earlier: No constituency before: Yes Ashok Gajapathi Raju is a senior politician and politburo Date & year of birth: June 12, 1957 Whether held ministerial charge member of the (TDP). This is the first time he had Constituency: , Madhya Pradesh Date & year of birth: May 18, 1948 earlier: No been elected to the Lok Sabha. He was elected from the Vizianagaram Whether represented the constituency before: Yes Constituency: Shajapur, Madhya Pradesh Singh, hails from parliamentary constituency in Andhra Pradesh with a margin of 106,991 Whether represented the constituency before: Yes the powerful votes. Prior to being elected as MP, had been a member of the state Whether held ministerial charge earlier: No Whether held ministerial charge earlier: No Legislative Assembly for seven times. Raju started his political career in Tomar is a second-time MP to the Lok Sabha. community in 1978 as a Janata Party MLA. He won the subsequent elections in 1983, He was also a Rajya Sabha member briefly in Gehlot is one of the BJP’s general Bihar, and has 1985, 1989, 1994 and 2009 from Vizianagaram Assembly segment as a TDP candidate. He 2009. Tomar started as a youth activist for the secretaries, a member of its parliamentary been the Bihar was defeated only once in the 2004 Assembly polls. During his political career spanning BJP in Madhya Pradesh, rising to become the board and its Dalit face from Madhya state unit over 35 years, Raju had been a minister for excise and commercial taxes in the Cabinet of party’s state president and was part of Nitin Pradesh, now in the Union cabinet. president of the BJP in the past. He TDP founder N T Rao. He held the portfolio of finance and legislative affairs during Gadkari’s team of national general Gehlot has been a long-time trade is a five-time Lok Sabha MP – the chief ministership of Chandrababu Naidu. In 1989-90, he had also been the general secretaries. Tomar was an MLA from 1998 to unionist and a three-term MLA. He was elected in 1989, 1996, 1999, 2009 secretary of TDP. Throughout his political career, he was known for honesty. 2008 and a cabinet minister in the BJP governments in first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996, then and now 2014. Singh, was the vice The 63-year-old Raju comes from the Pusapati royal family, who have been the rulers of from 2003 onwards. He continues to be the state party again in 1998, 1999 and 2004. He has in the past been in president of the BJP’s kisan Vizianagaram. He studied up to PUC and had been a student of Public School. president. Tomar is known to be close to current MP Chief charge of the BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha. This will be his morcha in 2009. An MP from East According to the official website of the AP Legislature, Raju's profession is agriculture and Minister . He along with Sushma Swaraj first stint as a minister. Champaran, he has a clean image. he has a special interest in antique cars. and Thaawar Chand Gehlot are the three cabinet ministers from Madhya Pradesh in the Modi government

Portfolios mentioned for all ministers are based on media reports. No official announcement on distribution of portfolios was made as at the time of going to press; Text: BS Reporters; Pics: Sanjay K Sharma & PTI