Narendra Modi's Cabinet: Smriti Irani pegged to be HRD Minister

 With Narendra Modi all set to be sworn-in as the Prime Minister of India on Monday evening, hectic parleys are being held at Gujarat Bhawan over future role of BJP top leaders in the central Cabinet. 

While, the list of Narendra Modi's Cabinet was sent to the Rashtrapati Bhawan today morning, reports suggest that BJP president Rajnath Singh, who successfully stitched pre-poll alliance with other political parties and also pacified senior party leaders on contentious issues like appointment of Modi as BJP's PM nominee, is expected to get the crucial Home Ministry. But internal security may be taken away from the home ministry and kept with the prime minister's office. 

Meanwhile, reports said that Modi, who often advocated for modernisation of the armed forces during his poll campaign, is expected to retain the crucial portion of Defence Ministry with himself. 

Former Karnataka chief minister Sadanand Gowda and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan are expected to be bestowed with Railway Ministry and Consumer Affairs Ministry respectively. Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad is most lielt to be the Law Minsiter. Earlier, reports said that the Depputy Leader of Opposition will get the Information and Brioadcasting Ministry. 

One of the key ministries, the Human Resource Development (HRD) department is most likely to be headed by Modi's 'Choti behen' Smriti Irani, who unsuccessfully contested against Congress vice president from Amethi constituency. Considered to be a close aide of the BJP strongman, Smriti is expected to work in close co-ordination with Modi. 

According to news reports 24 Cabinet ministers, 11 Ministers of State and 10 Independent Charges will be sworn-in today. 

List of Cabinet Ministers: 

Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Venkaiah Naidu, Sadanand Gowda, Uma Bharti, Najma Heptullah, Gopinath Munde, Ramvilas Paswan, Kalraj Mishra, Maneka Gandhi, Ananth Kumar, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Anant Geete, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Narendra Singh Tomar, Jual Oram, Radha Mohan Singh, Thawar Chand Gehlot, Smriti Irani, Dr Harsh Vardhan 

List of MoS (Independent): General VK Singh, Rao Inderjit Singh, Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Shripad Naik, Dharmendra Pradhan, Sarbananda Sonowal, Prakash Javadekar, Piyush Goel, Dr Jitendra Singh and Nirmala Sitharaman 

List of MoS GM Siddeshwara, Manoj Sinha, Upendra Kushwaha, Pon Radhakrishnan, Kiren Rijiju, Krishan Pal Gujjar, Sanjeev Baliyan, Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava, Raosaheb Dadarao Patil Danve, Vishnu Dev Sahai and Sudarshan Bhagat.

Modi's close confidante and Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley, who contested the Lok Sabha polls from Amritsar constituency, may be awarded with the Finance Ministry. During the 2012 Gujarat Assembly elections, Jaitley had relentlessly worked in the western state to ensure a victory for Modi. 

Another senior party leader Sushma Swaraj, who had vehemently opposed Modi's appointment as BJP's PM candidate for 2014 General Elections, is expected to get the charge of Foreign Ministry. Sushma is most suited for the Foreign Ministry portfolio given her vast experience in the Parliament in handling critical issues. 

Other senior party leaders like Nitin Gadkari may be appointed as the minister of all transport and Dr Harsh Vardhan in all probability is expected to be made the Health Minister. 

Other leaders like General VK Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman are expected to bag key Cabinet berths. 

However, all eyes would be on how LK Advani is adjusted with honour in the Modi era. Reports say that the BJP patriarch will be given the role of mentor. 

Suspense also continues over party veteran Murli Manohar Joshi's role.

Among the others who are slated to get important positions in the new government are Venkaiah Naidu, Smriti Irani, Poonam Mahajan, Kirit Somaiya, Kalraj Mishra, Ananth Kumar, Sumitra Mahajan and Satyapal Singh. 

The Cabinet is expected to be compact, and restructuring is expected in the government with some ministries likely to be merged. 

The focus has been on convergence in the activities of various ministries where one Cabinet minister will be heading a cluster of ministries in complimentary sectors. 

TDP sources in Hyderabad however said Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju is likely to be the lone face from the TDP to be inducted into the Union Cabinet. 

The BJP-led NDA coalition has returned to power in India led by its prime ministerial aspirant Narendra Modi, ending a decade of Congress-led rule.