As the Narendra Modi 3.0 ministry was sworn in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday evening, a number of faces surprisingly surfaced in Modi’s union cabinet ministry team 3.O.
And those names are Suresh Gopi, Jual Oram and Chandrashekhar.
Who are they? Let’s find out more about them..
1. Suresh Gopi
‘A minister from Thissur is Modi’s guarantee’.
Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi is the first BJP Lok Sabha MP from Kerala to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Council of Ministers on Sunday.
Gopi made history by securing the BJP’s first-ever seat in Kerala, a state long dominated by the Left. It’s noteworthy that Kerala gave India its first Left government in 1957. Gopi’s victory provides a significant lesson for the Kerala BJP, which has faced stiff competition from the CPM-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF.
In a fiercely contested election, Gopi defeated CPI’s VS Sunil Kumar by a margin of 74,000 votes, with Congress candidate K Muraleedharan also in the fray.
Gopi’s previous election fight
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Gopi ran from Thrissur on a BJP ticket but finished third. Undeterred, he was appointed to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP and utilized his MP funds for social outreach, efforts that paid off in the 2024 election.
Gopi gained the trust of voters, including the Christian community, by actively protesting against the CPM’s alleged cooperative bank funds scam. His dedication to grassroots activism resonated with the electorate.
Known for his acting prowess and dialogue delivery, Gopi’s resilience has been evident throughout his cinematic career. His political journey marks a significant shift, as he was once influenced by Communist ideologies during his college days and was a member of the CPM’s Students Federation of India (SFI).
2. Jual Oram
Oram, 63, served as the Union Cabinet Minister twice in the past. In his second term as an MP in 1999, Oram was assigned to head the tribal affairs ministry after the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government set up the ministry following the bifurcation of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. He was re-inducted again in 2014 when Narendra Modi assumed power for the first time and again got the tribal affairs portfolio.
In the just-concluded elections, Oram defeated hockey icon and BJD candidate Dilip Tirkey from his traditional base Sundargarh by more than 1.38 lakh votes. Oram, who won the seat five times between 1998 and 2019, made an emotional pitch during the campaign, seeking votes in what he billed as his “last election”.
The decision to include Oram in the Union Cabinet is also seen as the BJP’s attempt to further strengthen its base among the tribals in Odisha, who comprise around 23% of the population. Oram is also known as a strong critic of outgoing CM Naveen Patnaik.
Born into a poor tribal family in Kendudihi village in Sundargarh district, Oram completed his engineering degree in 1982 and worked in Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited before entering politics. Oram was elected to the state Assembly first in 1990 from the Bonai Assembly seat and again re-elected in 1995.
3. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani
Telugu Desam Party’s Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, who is the richest candidate to win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, will be among the Union Council of Ministers who will be sworn in on Sunday along with Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, a TDP leader said on Sunday.
Mr Pemmasani, who is Chandrababu Naidu’s party colleague, won from Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur constituency and has assets worth ₹ 5,700 crore.
He defeated his nearest rival, YSRCP’s Kilari Venkata Rosaiah, by over 3.4 lakh votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
