Prime Minister Narendra Modi retained Kiren Rijiju, MP from Arunachal Pradesh and Sarbananda Sonowal representing Dibrugarh constituency in Assam in his cabinet while inducting a new face, a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, Pabitra Margherita as a Minister of State. Their portfolios are however yet to be out.
Arunachal Pradesh
1. Kiren Rijiju
Rank: Cabinet
Portfolio:
Born on 19 November 1971, Kiren Rijiju from Arunachal Pradesh served as the Cabinet Minister for Earth Sciences and Food Processing Industries since 2023 and 2024, and is also the Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal West, a position he has held since 2014, previously serving from 2004 to 2009. Rijiju’s political career includes roles such as the Minister of State for Home Affairs from 2014 to 2019, Minister of State for Minority Affairs from 2019 to 2021, and Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Sports and Youth Affairs from 2019 to 2021. Additionally, he served as the Law Minister from 2021 to 2023.
Assam
1. Sarbananda Sonowal
Rank: Cabinet
Portfolio:
Sarbananda Sonowal, born on October 31, 1962, serves as the Cabinet Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and AYUSH in the Government of India. Since 2021, he has been a member of the Rajya Sabha, representing Assam, and also sits on the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.
He won the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency in 2024 General Elections.
Sonowal’s political career includes serving as the 14th Chief Minister of Assam from 2016 to 2021. He was a member of the Assam Legislative Assembly representing Majuli until his resignation in 2021, and previously served from the Moran constituency from 2001 to 2004. He held the position of Assam BJP state unit President twice, first from 2012 to 2014 and again from 2015 to 2016.His ministerial roles have included Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs from 2014 to 2016, and Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Skill Development briefly in 2014. Additionally, he was a member of the Lok Sabha representing Lakhimpur from 2014 to 2016 and Dibrugarh from 2004 to 2009. Before joining the BJP, Sonowal was affiliated with the Asom Gana Parishad from 2001 to 2011.
2. Pabitra Margherita
Rank: Minister of State
Portfolio:
Initially a magazine editor and later a filmmaker, Assam’s Rajya Sabha MP Pabitra Margherita was sworn in as a minister in the Narendra Modi government on Sunday.
A prominent figure in Assam’s cultural scene, Margherita entered politics in 2014 as a member of the BJP and quickly rose to the position of state spokesperson for the party.
Link to article –
Modi 3.0: North East India gets three ministers in new government, two are in Cabinet rank
