NEW DELHI: As the 68-year-old vice-presidential nominee of the NDA M Venkaiah Naidu filed his nomination papers, youngest cabinet minister Smriti Irani got additional charge of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, signalling that the BJP is counting on youth power for the next Lok Sabha elections.
The cabinet reshuffle, which appears likely after the monsoon session of Parliament, may see Narendra Modi banking on the youth quotient.
Union minister for rural development Narendra Singh Tomar got Naidu’s another responsibility — Ministry of Urban Development — as additional charge. “Irani’s strong comeback after losing the Ministry of Human Resources Development in the last cabinet reshuffle is an indication that Modi will bank on youth power, who are result oriented and combative against political rivals,” said a senior BJP leader.
Meanwhile, the VP poll result appeared tilted heavily in favour of Naidu, who has the committed support of 337 MPs of the NDA in the Lok Sabha and 77 in the Rajya Sabha, besides additional support from both factions of the AIADMK, TRS, YSR Congress, INLD, and some Independents.