India has ushered in a new five-year term with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking the oath of office on Sunday, June 9, at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Narendra Modi was sworn in for his third consecutive term as India’s Prime Minister, matching the record of the nation’s first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who held the office from 1952, 1957, and 1962. Modi is now the second person in India’s history to achieve three consecutive terms as Prime Minister.
Among those sworn in, seven distinguished women, including Nirmala Sitharaman, Annapurna Devi, and Anupriya Singh Patel, took their oaths as ministers in Prime Minister Modi’s newly formed cabinet.
Meet the New Women Ministers Who Took Oath:
Nirmala Sitharaman : Cabinet (Only woman minister in Modi’s Cabinet for 3rd time in record)
In 2014, the 64-year-old joined Prime Minister Modi’s cabinet as the Minister of Industry and Commerce. By 2017, she was entrusted with the defense portfolio. Following the 2019 general elections, when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley fell ill, Nirmala Sitharaman made history by becoming the first woman to serve a full term as India’s Finance Minister. Before her, Indira Gandhi had briefly held the finance portfolio alongside her duties as Prime Minister.
Annapurna Devi: Cabinet
Initially a homemaker, Annapurna Devi’s political journey began tragically after her husband, Ramesh Yadav, an RJD legislator, passed away in 1998. Thrust into politics by fate, she has since become a significant figure, particularly among the OBC community in Jharkhand. Her first ministerial role in 2021 was seen as a strategic move to consolidate the OBC vote bank.
Anupriya Singh Patel: Minister of State
Leader of Apna Dal (Soneylal), Anupriya Patel, secured a significant victory in the Mirzapur Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh by defeating her Samajwadi Party rival, Ramesh Chand Bind, with a margin of 37,810 votes.
Shobha Karandlaje: Minister of State
Known for her outspoken stance on issues like religious extremism, Shobha Karandlaje, a close ally of BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa, has earned her place in the union government once again. A three-time Lok Sabha member, she was a surprise addition to the Union Council of Ministers in 2021, serving as the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
Raksha Khadse: Minister of State
Raksha Nikhil Khadse triumphed in the Raver Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra, defeating Nationalist Congress Party candidate Shriram Dayaram Patil by a margin of 272,183 votes.
Savitri Thakur: Minster of State
Savitri Thakur won the Dhar Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh, overcoming Congress candidate Radheshyam Muvel with a margin of 218,665 votes.
Nimuben Bambhaniya: Minister of state
Nimuben Bambhaniya claimed victory in the Bhavnagar Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat, defeating Congress candidate Umeshbhai Naranbhai Makwana by a margin of 455,289 votes.
New Women MPs Inducted:
– Nirmala Sitharaman
– Annapurna Devi
– Anupriya Patel
– Shobha Karandlaje
– Raksha Khadse
– Savitri Thakur
– Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya
