Ravneet Singh Bittu to George Kurien: ministers in Modi cabinet but not Lok Sabha MPs

Sunday was an eventful day, with over 70 ministers taking oath to form the new Modi Cabinet. In a surprising turn of events, some political leaders who did not win the Lok Sabha elections were given a seat at the table.

Ravneet Singh Bittu

Ravneet Singh Bittu, two-term MP from Punjab and former Congress MP in the Lok Sabha, switched to the BJP just weeks before the general election. Although he contested from home constituency Ludhiana, he was defeated by the state Congress chief, Amrinder Raja Singh Warring. Despite this loss, Bittu was chosen for a ministerial berth. He now has six months to secure a seat in either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha. Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in 1999 by Khalistani terrorists.

George Kurien

George Kurien, the general secretary of the BJP in Kerala, also took the oath as a minister of state. However, he did not even contest elections. A seasoned lawyer, Kurien has been with the BJP for about three decades, holding key positions within the party's minority wing and serving as a vice-president in the National Minorities Commission. His inclusion in the Cabinet is seen to be BJP's move to expand its outreach in South India and the Christian community in Kerala.

L Murugan

L Murugan is the only minister from the outgoing government to retain a cabinet position in Modi 3.0, despite losing the Lok Sabha election. He contested from the Nilgiris constituency in Tamil Nadu. As Minister of State in the previous government, Murugan handled portfolios such as fisheries, animal husbandry and dairy, and information and broadcasting. He is currently a member of the Rajya Sabha.

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