Narendra Modi was on Thursday sworn in as the Prime Minister for a second term helming a 58-member ministry with BJP chief Amit Shah making his debut at the Centre and former foreign secretary S Jaishankar emerging as a surprise pick while party veteran Sushma Swaraj was among the outgoing ministers who found no place.
Wearing a beige Nehru jacket, Modi, 68, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering ceremony just before sunset at the forecourt of majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan, capping a landslide win for the BJP which won 303 of the 542 seats.
Besides 25 Cabinet ministers including Modi, Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal and Jaishankar, nine were sworn in as Minister of State with Independent charge and another 24 as Minister of State.
"Honoured to serve India!" tweeted Modi after taking the oath.
Besides Swaraj, who did not contest the elections on health grounds, eight-time MP Maneka Gandhi, six-time MP Radhamohan Singh, Mahesh Sharma, Jayant Sinha, Jual Oram, Ram Kripal Yadav, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, all of BJP, and Anupriya Patel(of BJP ally Apna Dal) failed to make the cut despite winning their respective seats. Anantkumar Hegde, a Hindutva leader from Karnataka who is known for his controversial statements, was also dropped.
Suresh Prabhu and J P Nadda(both Rajya Sabha) also did not find a place. Speculation is rife that Nadda, who was made BJP's UP incharge, may succeed Shah.
Arun Jaitley, who held the Finance portfolio, had already opted out of the government for health reasons.
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, a former diplomat who lost the elections, managed to retain his berth. Jaishankar and Puri will have to enter Parliament within 6 months and they could take the Rajya Sabha route.
Portfolios for the news ministers were not announced amid reports that Shah may get the Finance portfolio and Rajnath retaining Home.
Key BJP ally JD(U) stayed out of the government in what appears to be a sign of differences with the saffron party over the number of ministerial berths offered to the party
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