India / Health Minister Harsh Vardhan resigns ahead of Union Cabinet expansion

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has resigned from the Union Cabinet ahead of its expansion on Wednesday, ANI reported. This comes after Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Union Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar also tendered their resignation. As many as 43 leaders will reportedly take oath as Union Ministers during the Cabinet expansion on Wednesday.

Vikrant Shekhawat : Jul 07, 2021, 03:41 PM

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday resigned from the Modi cabinet. The development comes ahead of the massive Modi cabinet reshuffle scheduled for 6 pm today. Several ministerial probables including BJP's Narayan Rane, Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ajay Bhatt, Bhupender Yadav, Shobha Karandlaje, Sunita Duggal, Meenakshi Lekhi, Bharati Pawar, Shantanu Thakur and Kapil Patil, JD(U)'s R C P Singh, LJP's Pashupati Paras and Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel.

Some ministers of state, including G Kishan Reddy, Parshottam Rupala and Anurag Thakur, were also there, and they may be elevated, sources said.

Sources added that around 43 persons, including those getting a promotion, may take an oath, and they will be a mix of youth and those with administrative experience, including former chief ministers.

Union ministers R K Singh, Mansukh Mandaviya and Hardeep Singh Puri may also be promoted, they said.

BJP president JP Nadda was present during the meetings.

The expansion exercise is scheduled to be held at 6 pm at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

This will be the first reshuffle in his Council of Ministers by Modi since he assumed charge for a second term in May 2019. The prime minister is expected to bring in young faces and give representation to various social groups and regions in the reshuffle.