Will work in any field allotted by PM Modi, says Parrikar

Former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who is expected to take charge as the country's next defence minister, on Sunday said he would fulfill any responsibility given to him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the best of his abilities.

"Do not ask me the portfolio; I am not aware of it. It is up to the Prime Minister. I will work in any field that the Prime Minister Modi allots me," said Parrikar.

As many as 20 new faces are expected to be inducted into the Union Council of Ministers today.

Besides Parrikar, party MPs Anurag Thakur, Col. Sonaram Chaudhary and Hansraj Ahir are among those likely to be included in the Cabinet.

BJP leaders Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Bandaru Datttatreya are also expected to be allotted Cabinet berths.

Former union minister Yashwant Sinha's son Jayant too is in the race for the Cabinet berth, with reports suggesting that the first-time Hazaribagh MP is being considered as a Minister of State (MoS) for Defence or Finance.

Olympian shooter-turned-politician Rajyavardhan Rathore, who won from Rajasthan in the general elections, is also expected to be included in the Cabinet.

Shiv Sena's Suresh Prabhu and Anil Desai, and TDP's Y.S. Choudhary are expected to find a place in the Cabinet.

According to reports, the upcoming assembly elections in different states are also being taken into consideration while finalizing the list of new faces.