Health minister Harsh Vardhan resigns from Cabinet ahead of mega reshuffle

Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has resigned from the Union Cabinet ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle. The minister, who is the in-charge of India's fight against coronavirus, was sworn in as India's health minister after the NDA returned to power following the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

Apart from Vardhan, many ministers and junior ministers from the Modi Cabinet have tendered their resignation ahead of the scheduled reshuffle at 6 pm today.

Some other ministers who resigned from the current Cabinet are Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Santosh Gangwar, Sadananda Gowda, Babul Supriyo, Minister of State Pratap Sarangi, chemicals and fertilisers minister Sadananda Gowda, among others.

In its first-ever reshuffle after the returning to power in 2019, the Modi government may this time induct 30-35 new members of Parliaments, including a majority of women, OBCs and Dalits.

Smaller parties like JD-U, Apna Dal and LJP may also find a majority of seats in the new Cabinet. As per India Today, the BJP ally JD(U) has also bagged a Cabinet berth and other ranks. BJP leaders like Narayan Rane from Maharashtra, Jyotiraditya Scindia from Madhya Pradesh and Sarbananda Sonowal from Assam may also find their names in the new ministers' list.

PM Modi's review of the works of his ministers, early next year assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab, and the COVID-19 pandemic that has been a factor in the internal evaluation of the party's governance and organisational works are likely to weigh heavy in the expected reshuffle.

Also read: PM Modi's Cabinet Reshuffle LIVE: Harsh Vardhan, Sadananda Gowda resign from Cabinet ahead of expansion