Shivraj Chouhan appointed agriculture minister, Khattar gets power & housing ministries

BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan was allocated the Union Ministry of Agriculture, while former Haryana Chief Minister was given charge of the Power and Urban Affairs Ministry.

The Agriculture Ministry is one of the high-profile berths in the Narendra Modi government, given continuing tension with farmers since the 2020 protests over the three farm laws. Chouhan contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Vidisha. He won this seat in five consecutive elections between 1991 and 2004.

Khattar has also been assigned Housing and Urban Affairs in the new Cabinet. He won from the Karnal constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Six former chief ministers are part of the new Council of Ministers.

Meanwhile, former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, leader of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) has been given the charge of the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). Also, former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy was given portfolio of Ministry of Heavy Industries and former Assam CM was  Sarbananda Sonowal was given the charge of  ports, shipping and waterways.

Rajnath Singh, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, will continue as the Minister of Defence, according to Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The first meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new Cabinet was held at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi. The portfolios were allocated in the nmeeting.

PM Modi on Monday addressed the officials of PMO for the first time after assuming the office for a third term.

The prime minister stated that his team is not bound by time.  “We are not those people for whom office starts at this time and ends at this time. We are not those people, we are not bound by time, we have no limits to our thinking, and we have no criteria for our efforts. Those who are beyond this are my team and the country trusts that team,” he said.

After being sworn in, the PM signed his first file authorising the release of the 17th instalment of PM Kisan Nidhi. This will benefit 9.3 crore farmers and distribute around Rs 20,000 crore.