On Tuesday, Minority Affairs Minister Dr Najma A Heptulla and Minister of State for Heavy Industries G M Siddeshwara resigned from their posts.
President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted both resignations.
These resignations have come about a week after PM Modi’s major expansion and reshuffle of his Cabinet on July 5. PM Modi had inducted 19 new faces in the ministry and also changed portfolios of several ministers. There were reports last week that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could ask Dr Najma and Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises Kalraj Mishra to quit before the reshuffle of ministers. Both these ministers had recently turned 75, and PM Modi is believed to have a preference for his ministers to be below 75 years of age.
Dr Najma Heptulla returned to Delhi yesterday after a two-week break to the US. She had been the deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha for many years. Dr Najma’s deputy Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has now been assigned the Independent charge of the ministry, and, according to party sources, Dr Heptulla could now be considered for a gubernatorial assignment.
G M Siddheswara, a MP from Davangere, was also asked to resign during recent reshuffle, but he asked for a week’s time.
“His constituents had arranged a big public meeting on the day of the reshuffle in connection with his birthday, which falls around that time. He did not want the embarrassment of being dropped from the council of ministers and had asked for some time. This was granted, with the understanding that the resignation would be forthcoming after Prime Minister Modi returned from his trip to Africa,” said a senior BJP leader.
Minister of State Babul Supriyo has also been relieved of his charge in Ministry of Urban Development, and Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation. He is now the MoS in the Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises. There were some reports earlier that he was not getting along with I&B minister M Venkaiah Naidu.
With these new changes, PM Modi’s reshuffle of his ministry can now be deemed complete.
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