Five former Chief Ministers from various states were appointed as Union Ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest cabinet reshuffle. Among them are HD Kumaraswamy from JD (Secular), Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who served four terms as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Jitan Ram Manjhi from Hindustan Aawam Morcha (HAM), Sarbananda Sonowal, the former Assam Chief Minister, and Manohar Lal Khattar, who led Haryana twice.
Chouhan, with a political career spanning over three decades, entered the Union cabinet for the first time. He holds the record for the longest-serving Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, having held the position from 2005 to 2018 and then from 2020 to 2023.
Kumaraswamy, a JD(S) leader, emerged victorious in the Lok Sabha elections from the Mandya constituency. He previously served two terms as Karnataka’s Chief Minister, from 2006-2007 and then from 2018-2019, and currently heads the JD(S).
Manjhi, representing Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), led Bihar as Chief Minister from 2014 to 2015, making history as the first Chief Minister from the Musahar community in the state. He has been an MLA since 1980 and was elected as a Lok Sabha MP from Gaya.
Khattar, who won from Karnal constituency, served as Haryana’s Chief Minister until March of the current year when he was replaced by Nayab Singh Saini. A former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh pracharak, Khattar has been Karnal’s representative since 2014 and held the Chief Ministerial position for two terms.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance secured its third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha elections, with the NDA winning 293 seats, including 240 secured by the BJP.