As Narendra Modi is set to take oath as prime minister for a third consecutive term along with a few other MPs on Sunday, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Prataprao Jadhav, Ramdas Athawale and Raksha Khadse—all from Maharashtra—are likely to be inducted into his cabinet.
“No name has been declared so far… Such a list is not declared in advance. But four-five MPs from Maharashtra will certainly make it to the cabinet,” BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari told The Indian Express.
From the three parties of the ruling Mahayuti, only two women have won the Lok Sabha elections. “Of the two, Raksha Khadse is being considered. She has also received a call to attend the swearing-in ceremony,” said a BJP leader. The other elected woman is Smita Wagh, also from the BJP.
From the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, two names were being discussed—Prataprao Jadhav, who has been elected for a fourth time from Buldhana, and Shrirang Barne, elected for a third time from Maval.
However, Barner said, “I have not received any call. I think Prataprao Jadhav will make it to the central cabinet. I might get a chance in the second cabinet expansion.”
The Shiv Sena had also pushed the name of Shrikant Shinde, son of the chief minister. “Our party workers and leaders have suggested that the chief minister recommend Shrikant Shinde for inclusion in the Modi cabinet,” said party spokesperson Naresh Mhaske.
Prataprao Jadhav said, “We all had suggested to CM Shindeji that the Sena should nominate Shrikant Shindeji for a ministerial position, but Shrikantji refused citing that he wished to work for the organisation. CM Shinde said that a common Shiv Sainik should get an opportunity and justice. I thank him for nominating me for this position.”
Jadhav has received an invite from the Prime Minister’s Office. A former three-term MLA, he was a minister in the first Shiv Sena-BJP government, in 1995-1999. He is the Sena’s most senior MP and was the Eknath Shinde-led party’s first preference for a berth in the Union cabinet.
Meanwhile, amid speculations about his getting inducted into the ministry, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s Praful Patel, a Rahya Sabha member, said, “I have not received a call yet. I am waiting for the call.”
Ajit Pawar held a discussion with his party’s lone Lok Sabha MP, Sunil Tatkare, in New Delhi on Sunday morning about whom to recommend for a cabinet berth. Tatkare is also the state NCP chief.
“They had a discussion. So far, no name has been recommended,” said NCP spokesperson Sanjay Tatkare.
RPI (Athawale) Rajya Sabha member Ramdas Athawale, who like Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North) was a minister in the last Modi government, is being considered for a cabinet berth again.
Gadkari (Nagpur) has served in the Modi government for the last 10 years as a minister holding the important portfolio of road transport and highways. He has also held additional portfolios like shipping, micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises and water resources.
He started his political career with the RSS’s student wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. With an ability to make friends outside Sangh Parivar including in the Opposition camp, Gadkari comes across as a moderate face of the BJP/RSS. He served as the BJP national president from 2009 to 2013.
When the Shiv Sena-BJP government came to power for the first time in 1995, Gadkari became public works minister. His flagship Mumbai-Pune Expressway project gave him a new identity as a leader with a vision for infrastructure-oriented development. He was leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council from 1999 to 2005 and led the party’s state unit from 2005 to 2009.
Popularly called “highways man”, Gadkari often quotes former American president John F Kennedy, who said, “American roads are good not because America is rich. America is rich because of its good roads.”
