From Amit Shah to Prabhu, Big Winners & Losers in Modi Cabinet 2.0

Here are the biggest winners and losers in Narendra Modi’s new Council of Ministers.

(Photo: The Quint)

Narendra Modi was sworn in as prime minister for a second consecutive term on Thursday, 30 May, on the back of a resounding mandate in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls.

The 68-year-old BJP leader, who took oath against the magnificent backdrop of the Rashtrapati Bhavan with thousands gathered in the forecourt and millions watching on their television screens, is the third prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi to return for a second successive term with a full majority.

But the focus now shifts almost immediately from celebrations to the Cabinet allocations. While many found favour in Modi’s new government, like BJP Chief Amit Shah and former Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, several lost their places in the Council or were overlooked, like Suresh Prabhu and Jayant Sinha.

Click here for LIVE updates on Modi Cabinet 2.0 portfolio allocations.

Here are the biggest winners and losers in Modi’s Cabinet 2.0:

(Photo: The Quint)

With the task of galvanising the BJP's organisational machinery to craft a return of the Modi government done, party president Amit Shah is set to combine his astute political mind with his delivery skills to help his mentor Prime Minister Modi implement his governance agenda in the next five years.

Modi’s decision to bring Shah in his cabinet signals that he will now play a crucial role in the government, effectively the go-to man for the prime minister, several party leaders believe.

Given his bump in stature, with him likely to get a key role in the Cabinet, Shah is arguably the biggest winner in Modi Cabinet 2.0

(Photo: The Quint)

Former foreign secretary S Jaishankar, a surprise pick in Narendra Modi's council of ministers, is a seasoned diplomat who was the Indian government's pointsman for China and the US.

Jaishankar, son of late K Subrahmanyam, one of India’s leading strategic analysts, was a key member of the Indian team which negotiated the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal.

Jaishankar's appointment as foreign secretary in January 2015 had evoked a sharp reaction from various quarters over the timing of the government's decision to remove Sujatha Singh.

He had earlier served as India's Ambassador to the US and before that to China. He is perhaps the most surprising winner in Modi’s new Cabinet.

(Photo: The Quint)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dropped parliamentarians and key economic ministers in the previous NDA government, including Suresh Prabhu.

Prabhu held key ministries like Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation and earlier in his term was also the Railway Minister.

However, in the wake of a series of railway accidents, Prabhu had been shifted from Railways to Commerce and Industry with many considering it as demotion.

He held the additional charge of Civil Aviation Ministry and took various measures to improve passenger experience.

As Commerce Minister, he successfully put a check on current account deficit but could not push exports.

A member of upper house Rajya Sabha, Prabhu was minister in Vajpayee government too.

(Photo: The Quint)

Not just Prabhu, but even his colleague Jayant Sinha in the Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, which houses the Civil Aviation Ministry, did not find a place in the new cabinet.

This came as a blow to Sinha, who was re-elected from the Hazaribagh seat in Jharkhand by a margin of almost 5 lakh votes in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

Olympian Rajyavardhan Rathore is one of the most prominent exclusions from Prime Minister Modi's new Cabinet.

The 49-year-old was the Minister of State for Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports but did not make the cut this time round.

On Thursday, he was seen sitting in the audience rather than with the ministerial picks waiting to take oath after PM Modi.

This comes despite his victory in the recent Lok Sabha polls, where he beat a fellow Olympian, Krishna Poonia, of the Congress.