The Narendra Modi government has allocated Cabinet berths to two of its allies in the south and one to its Telangana party chief. Additionally, Minister of State roles have been granted to two BJP leaders from Kerala, marking the party’s significant electoral breakthrough in the state.
Janata Dal (Secular) chief and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has been entrusted with the portfolios of Minister of Heavy Industries and Minister of Steel. Meanwhile, Telugu Desam Party’s Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu has been appointed as Minister of Civil Aviation. Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party president and Secunderabad MP G Kishan Reddy has been tasked with overseeing the Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of Mines.
Expanding its representation from southern states, eight MPs have been appointed as Minister of State in various departments in the Modi 3.0 government. Among them, two are from Kerala, two from Karnataka, two from Andhra Pradesh, and one each from Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
Suresh Gopi, a Kerala movie star turned politician, has been designated as Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, along with Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism. Another move aimed at bolstering the party’s presence in Kerala is the appointment of George Kurian as Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs and Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Kurian serves as the BJP’s General Secretary in Kerala.
In Karnataka, BJP MP V Somanna, emerging victorious from Tumkur Lok Sabha seat, has been assigned Minister of State roles in the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Railways. Similarly, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje, who secured victory in Bengaluru North, has been designated as Minister of State in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
From Andhra Pradesh, TDP MP Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani has been appointed as Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development and Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications. BJP MP Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, victorious from Narsapuram constituency, assumes the role of Minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Minister of State in the Ministry of Steel.
Former Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar, instrumental in the party’s expansion in the state, has been designated as Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Additionally, L Murugan, former Telangana BJP state president, has been appointed as Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, despite losing the election.
