DHAKA: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inducted 19 new ministers to his government in a major expansion.

The new ministers, including former journalist MJ Akbar and MP Arjun Ram Meghwal, took the oath on Tuesday (June 5).

Senior ministers Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Manohar Parrikar have retained their posts, reports the BBC.

The inclusion of three new faces from Uttar Pradesh is seen as an attempt to boost Modi’s party’s chances of winning state elections due in 2017.

The government now has 13 ministers from the northern state, India’s most populous.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 73 out of 80 seats in the 2014 general election and it is hoping for a big win in next year’s assembly polls.

A win in the election would help the party secure more MPs in the upper house because they are elected by state legislatures.

The BJP does not currently have a majority in the upper house, which has resulted in a number of important pieces of legislation being stalled there.

The state has been ruled by regional parties for the past 15 years.

"Keeping in mind the conditions that have been created in the state in the last 15 years, the only way to save the state is through development. And only the BJP can guarantee development,” Modi said.

Correspondents add that Modi will expect his ministers to promote his policies in Uttar Pradesh to attract voters.

Meanwhile, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has been promoted to the cabinet rank in the reshuffle.

Other ministers are also likely to be reshuffled when Modi assigns departments to new ministers.

BDST: 0828 HRS, JULY 6, 2016
BD