Dr. Mansukh L. Mandaviya was appointed the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs under the new cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, replacing Anurag Thakur in the cabinet.
Mandaviya had been the Health Minister in Modi’s previous cabinet, also maintaining the portfolio of Chemicals and Fertilizers since 2021.
Raksha Nikhil Khadse was appointed the Minister of State of Sports, who retained her Lok Sabha seat for the second consecutive time, winning with a margin of over two lakh votes from Raver constituency in Maharashtra.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), through the National Democratic Alliance, returned to power for the second consecutive time in 2024, with 293 seats, without a clear majority for the first time in 20 years.
While India’s preparations are almost done for the upcoming Olympic Games, it will be interesting to see how it is strengthened further under a new Sports Minister.
WHO IS THE NEW SPORTS MINISTER MANSUKH MANDAVIYA?
Mandaviya has been a cadre of the BJP, rising through the ranks of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the BJP. In 2002, he became the youngest Member of Legislative Assembly in Gujarat, winning from Palitana constituency.
He was the state secretary of BJP in Gujarat, eventually securing a seat in the Rajya Sabha in 2012. Mandaviya has a Master’s degree in political science from Bhavnagar University and completed his Ph. D. in the same from Gujarat Institute of Development Research, three years ago.
Mandaviya won his seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections from Porbandar, beating Congress’ Lalit Vasoya by over four lakh votes.
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