All the PM’s Men and Women: 23 Cabinet ministers

Rajnath Singh, 62  (Rajput)

Home Minister

This Election: The BJP president won from Lucknow by 2.72 lakh votes, the highest ever margin.

Journey To Cabinet: He became BJP president for the first time in 2005.

Having won from Ghaziabad in 2009, Rajnath shifted to Lucknow this time replacing sitting MP Lalji Tandon.

Previous Ministerial Record: UP education minister in 1991-92 (noted for an anti-copying law, rewriting of history textbooks and introduction of Vedic maths into the syllabus), UP CM in 2000-02, union minister for surface transport in 1999, agriculture minister in 2003.

Arun Jaitley, 61  (Brahmin)

Finance Minister and the Defence Minister

This Election: The Rajya Sabha MP was among the only BJP titans to lose, defeated in Amritsar by over 1 lakh votes.

Journey To Cabinet: A senior Supreme Court lawyer, Jaitley was additional solicitor general, Government of India, in 1989-90.

He has been a Rajya Sabha member since 2000. The 2014 Lok Sabha polls was the first time he contested a direct election.

Previous Ministerial Record: Held several portfolios in the Vajpayee government of 1999, including MoS (I-C) of I&B and Dept of Disinvestment, and minister for law, company affairs.

Sushma Swaraj, 62 (Brahmin)

Minister for External Affairs and Overseas

This Election: Won from Vidisha, by 4.10 lakh votes.

Journey to cabinet: Began her political career from the Haryana assembly with wins in 1977, 1987. She was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1990, and in 1996, entered the Lok Sabha from S Delhi.

Previous Ministerial Record: In 1977, became the country’s youngest cabinet minister in Haryana at age 25. Was I&B minister during 13-day Vajpayee government of 1996 (started live LS telecasts), as well as the NDA government of 1999. Health and Parliamentary Affairs in 2003-2004 . Also a former Delhi CM.

Venkaiah Naidu, 64 (Kamma)

Minister for Urban Development, Housing, Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs

This Election: Did not contest. Has been a member of the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka since 1998.

Journey To Cabinet: Naidu joined the RSS as a student and went on to become ABVP leader in 1973-74. He won elections to the Andhra Pradesh assembly twice. Was BJP president from 2002 to 2004 and resigned after the NDA lost in 2004.

Previous ministerial record: Was minister for rural development in the previous NDA government.

Nitin Gadkari, 57 (Brahmin)

Minister for Transport, Highways and Shipping

This Election: Fought and won his first ever direct polls, from Nagpur, by more than 2.8 lakh votes.

Journey To Cabinet: Has strong RSS backing and is considered a politician with an urban base. Throughout his stint in Maharashtra politics, he was an MLC (1989-2008).

Previous Ministerial Record: Became Maharashtra PWD minister in 1995, in the Shiv Sena-BJP government. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway and 55 flyovers in Mumbai came up under him.

Ravi S Prasad, 59  (Kayastha)

Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Law and Justice

This election: Represents Bihar in the Rajya Sabha.

Journey To Cabinet: A third time MP of the Rajya Sabha, also the BJP’s deputy leader in the Upper House and one of the party’s spokespersons.

Previous Ministerial Record: He has served in Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet as the minister of state (independent charge) for information and broadcasting (2000-2001), MoS for coal and mines (2002-2003) and MoS (additional charge) for law and justice ( 2003-2004).

Dr Harsh Vardhan, 59  (Bania)

Health Minister

This Election: Won from Chandni Chowk, Delhi, by 1,36,320 votes.

Journey To Cabinet: Was the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate in the recent assembly elections. The surgeon is in the Lok Sabha for the first time.

Previous Ministerial Record: Has been Delhi’s health and law minister with additional charge of education in 1993-1998; credited with starting pulse polio programme.

Ram Vilas Paswan, 67 (Paswan)

Minister for Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution

This Election: Won from Hajipur, Bihar, by 2,25,500 votes.

Journey to Cabinet: An eight-time MP, Paswan is the most powerful Dalit face in Bihar and helped convert Paswan votes to the NDA this election. He has the distinction of being part of all national coalitions since 1996 except UPA-II.

Previous ministerial record: Has served as union minister under five different PMs and held various portfolios: Labour, Railway, Communications and coal.

Gopinath Munde, 65 (Vanjara)

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj

This Election: Won from Beed, Maharastra, by 1,36,454 votes.

Journey to Cabinet: The OBC face of the BJP in Maharashtra, Munde comes from the backward Marathwada region of the state. After five terms in the assembly, he contested from Beed Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and 2014.

Previous ministerial record: Was Maharashtra home minister during the Shiv Sena-BJP government in 1995 to 1999.

H N Ananth Kumar, 54  (Brahmin)

Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry

This Election: Won his sixth straight election from Bangalore South, defeating Nandan Nilekani of the Congress by 2,28,575 votes.

Journey To Cabinet: The BJP general secretary is an Advani loyalist and on good terms with Modi. He became president of the Karnataka state unit of the BJP in 2003 . Under him, the party also won the highest number of Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka in 2004.

Previous Ministerial Record: Was civil aviation minister, also handled Urban Development, Tourism, Culture, other ministries.

Uma Bharti,55  (OBC)

Minister for Water Resources

This election: Won Jhansi by 1.90 lakh votes.

Journey To Cabinet: Five-time MP, the previous four times from Madhya Pradesh, a former MP CM. Expelled from BJP in 2005 after defying leadership. She then formed Bharatiya Janshakti Party before reuniting with BJP.

Previous Ministerial Record: MoS, HRD (1998-99), MoS (independent charge), Tourism (1999-2000), Minister, Youth Affairs and Sports (2000-02), Minister, Coal and Mines (2002-03).

P A Gajapati Raju, 62 (Kshatriya)

Minister for Civil Aviation

This Election: This is the first time he contested, winning Vizianagaram by 29,613 votes.

Journey To Cabinet: Joined the Janata Party in 1977 and won from Vizianagaram Assembly seat in 1978. He joined forces with N T Rama Rao when he launched TDP and has represented Vizianagaram seat six times.

Previous Ministerial Record: Excise and Commercial Taxes in NTR government, and Finance, Revenue and Legislative Affairs in the Chandrababu Naidu government.

Maneka Gandhi, 57  (Sikh, by birth)

Woman and Child Development Minister

This Election: Won Pilibhit.

Journey To Cabinet: Elected six times from Pilibhit and once from Aonla. An animal rights activist.

Previous Ministerial Record: MoS (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests (1989-91); MoS (Independent Charge for Programme Implementation (January 1990-April 1990); MoS (Independent Charge) for Social Justice and Empowerment (1998-99); MoS for Social Justice and Empowerment (October 1999-September 2001); MoS for Culture and others.

Kalraj Mishra, 72  Brahmin

Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

This election: Shifted to Deoria against his wishes, won.

Journey to cabinet: An RSS pracharak from Gorakhpur, he spent 45 years in UP Legislative Council (1986 to 2001) and Rajya Sabha (1978, 2002, 2006), this was his first LS election. Has been UP BJP chief a record four consecutive times.

Previous Ministerial Record: Was cabinet minister (PWD, Health, Tourism) in UP’s BJP-BSP government of 1997-2000.

Anant G Geete, 63  (OBC)

Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises

This Election: Won from Raigad by just 2,110 votes.

Journey To Cabinet: Elected from Raigad (earlier Ratnagiri) for the sixth time in a row, Geete has survived in the Shiv Sena because of loyalty to the Thackeray family. Geete who took classes from a private teacher to learn Hindi is the leader of the party in the Lok Sabha.

Previous Ministerial Record: Became MoS (Finance) in the Vajpayee government in 2002; a month later, moved to Power as cabinet minister.

Harsimrat Badal, 47  (Sikh)

Minister for Food Processing

This Election: Her first victory in Bathinda was an easy one in 2009, but this time she has barely won her seat back against Manpreet.

Journey To Cabinet: A two-time MP from Bathinda, Harsimrat Kaur is the daughter-in-law of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Previous Ministerial Record: None.

Narendra S Tomar, 56  (Jat)

Minister for Mines and Steel

This Election: Won from Gwalior with a margin of 29,699 votes. As the BJP president in Madhya Pradesh, Tomar ensured a massive win for the party in the state, bagging 27 out of the 29 seats.

Journey To Cabinet: Started his career as a corporator from Gwalior. Was Rajya Sabha member from Jan-May 2009. Elected to 15th LS in 2009.

Previous Ministerial Record: Was cabinet minister in the Madhya Pradesh government between 2003 and 2007, till he took over as state unit president.

Jual Oram, 53  (Oraon (ST))

Minister for Tribal Affairs

This Election: The national vice-president of BJP won Sundargarh in Orissa.

Journey To Cabinet: Oram is a prominent tribal leader. First elected to the Orissa Assembly in 1990, Oram quickly rose through the ranks. He has been the state BJP president twice.

Previous Ministerial Record:  A four-term MP, Oram was the first union minister for tribal affairs (1999-2004). The Vajpayee government had created the ministry after carving it out of Social Justice and Empowerment .

Radha Mohan Singh, 66  (Rajput)

Agriculture Minister

This Election: Defeated Lalu Prasad’s personal assistant Vinod Srivastava in E Champaran (Bihar).

Journey To Cabinet: Surprise choice given that Rajput leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy defeated Rabri Devi. Radha Mohan  been an MP four times, and  a member of the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of MPs, Railway Convention Committee, and Committee  on Estimates. He has served as Bihar BJP state president.

Previous Ministerial Record: None.

Thawar C Gehlot, 66  (SC)

Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment

This Election: Won from Shajapur in MP.

Journey To Cabinet: An arts graduate, Gehlot began as a Bharatiya Jan Sangh member in 1962 and was a MP MLA for three terms between 1980 and 1996. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1996, and for the fourth time in 2004. In 2013, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. A soft-spoken leader, he is known to avoid controversies and is a BJP general secretary.

Previous Ministerial Record:  Was MoS in the MP govt.

Smriti Irani, 38  (Khatri, married to a Parsi)

Minister for Human Resource Development

This Election: The first- time Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat lost to Rahul Gandhi  in Amethi.

Journey To Cabinet: From being one of the most popular TV actresses, she has made strides in the party by taking on rival giants. The BJP chose Irani to contest against Kapil Sibal in 2009 and against Rahul this time. Former head of BJP Mahila Morcha, she is now a party vice-president.

Previous Ministerial Record:  None.

Najma Heptulla, 74  (Muslim)

Minister for Minority Affairs

This Election: Represents Madhya Pradesh in Rajya Sabha.

Journey to cabinet: A PhD in cardiac anatomy from University of Denver, Heptullah is the grand-niece of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. The Muslim face of Modi’s cabinet, she is also a BJP vice-president. Originally from the Congress, she was RS Deputy Chairperson in the 1980s.

Previous ministerial record: None.

D V Sadanand Gowda, 61 (Vokaligga)

Railway Minister

This Election: This will be his first term as MP. Gowda won from Bengaluru North with a margin of 229,764 votes.

Journey To Cabinet: The leader of the opposition in the Karnataka assembly, he was the president of state BJP when it came to power in Karnataka in 2008.

Previous Ministerial Record:  Following the resignation of B S Yediyurappa, he was the chief minister of Karnataka from August 2011 to July 2012 till the BJP central committee replaced him with Jagdish Shettar.