Four NCR ministers in new Narendra Modi government

NEW DELHI: It has been a bonanza for the national capital region in the new Narendra Modi government.

The region where BJP swept the Lok Sabha polls winning all 11 seats, has four ministers, three of them first-time MPs.

While Delhi, with a major share of seven seats, has got a cabinet minister in Dr Harsh Vardhan, the three elected MPs out of the four neighbouring constituencies also got ministerial berths in the NDA government.

"The strike rate is 75 per cent as Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad MPs have found place in the Cabinet," said a BJP leader.

In UPA-II, there was no representation from NCR constituencies barring Delhi.

Kapil Sibal, Krishna Tirath and Ajay Maken, all from Delhi were the three ministers. Though Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh was a MoS in UPA-I, he was dumped in the second spell of the Manmohan Singh government, presumably because of his stand against the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government.

Among the NCR MPs, Krishan Pal Gurjar (Faridabad) created history of sorts to become the first minister from the constituency while Ghaziabad got a minister after 37 years. B P Maurya from Hapur (now Ghaziabad) was the last minister of state in the Indira Gandhi government from 1971 and 1977. Former Army chief Gen V K Singh won from Ghaziabad by a huge margin of 5.67 lakh votes while Gurjar's victory margin was about 4.67 lakh.

Barring Rao Inderjit Singh, Harsh Vardhan, Gen Singh and Gurjar are first time MPs. While it was a poll debut for the former Army chief, Harsh Vardhan and Gurjar are sitting MLAs from Delhi.

With Haryana getting two ministers - one MoS with independent charge and another MoS - from Gurgaon and Faridabad, the focus seems to be on the state's southern region that sends 27 MLAs. In the general elections, BJP led in 21 assembly segments.

Another theory behind picking up two MPs from adjoining constituencies for ministerial berths is also aimed at avoiding any heartburn within the party in Haryana before the assembly polls scheduled in October. While Inderjit has been rewarded despite his recent entry into the party, giving a place to Gurjar has also sent a message that the party acknowledges its workers.