Why Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan did not join Modi 3.0 Cabinet
In Andhra Pradesh, Jana Sena, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and BJP are part of the NDA alliance. Jana Sena won both the Lok Sabha seats it contested as part of the seat-sharing agreement
Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan (right) with PM Narendra Modi and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu (left). File photo: X/@PawanKalyan
Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan surprised everyone by opting not to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s NDA Cabinet that was formed on Sunday (June 9).
Modi was sworn in as the PM for a historic third consecutive term on Sunday. There were also 71 ministers including 11 from NDA allies who took oath along with PM Modi.
There are 30 Cabinet ministers, five Ministers of State with Independent Charge, and 36 Ministers of State.
Will Pawan Kalyan become Dy CM?
Pawan Kalyan did attend the NDA meeting with PM Modi in New Delhi but chose not to join the Cabinet. However, there is speculation that he may become a Union minister later.
Also, Pawan Kalyan could become Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister on Wednesday (June 12) when TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu takes the oath as the Chief Minister.
Pawan Kalyan won the elections for the first time as he emerged victorious from the Pithapuram Assembly seat on June 4.
In Andhra Pradesh, Jana Sena, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and BJP are part of the NDA alliance. Jana Sena won both the Lok Sabha seats it contested as part of the seat-sharing agreement while TDP won 16 out of the total 25 in the state. The BJP bagged three seats.
At the recent NDA meeting, PM Modi praised Pawan Kalyan, calling him “a storm”.
“And what you see, Pawan, he is not a breeze; he is a storm,” he said.
Suresh Gopi denies reports of his 'exit'
Meanwhile, Union Minister and actor-turned-politician in Kerala Suresh Gopi on Monday dismissed as “grossly incorrect” media reports suggesting that he was seeking an “exit” from the Modi-led government.
In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, BJP MP Gopi said that it is a matter of pride for him to be in the Council of Ministers of the Modi government and to represent the people of Kerala.
“A few media platforms are spreading the incorrect news that I am going to resign from the Council of Ministers of the Modi Government. This is grossly incorrect. It is a matter of pride for me to be in the Council of Ministers of the Modi Government and to represent the people of Kerala,” Gopi said in the post.