New Delhi, Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy, a known finance minister hopeful, did not make the cut even in the new government sworn in on Thursday, but he, along with Baijayant Jay Panda, did earn the sympathy of Twitter users.
“I wish to thank all the PTs who tweeted and expressed their heartfelt wish for me to become FM. But as I said from the beginning that it is the PM who decides finally and we should respect that since the buck stops with him,” said Swamy in a tweet on Thursday which was liked over 21,000 times.
The exclusion of former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Baijayant Jay Panda, who joined the Bharatiya Janata party before the elections, also surprised many.
“Only sad part is Shri @PandaJay is nowhere in sight. He should be inducted through RS route. He is one of the most level headed and informed politician of the order. Looks like in order to court Navin P he is being ignored,” wrote one user.
“Agree with you regarding Jay Panda,” academician Madhu Purnima Kishwar said while retweeting the message.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind, many Twitter users started sending messages stating that they missed former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar who passed away in March.
“The man who proposed Modi’s name as BJP PM candidate.. Miss you sir…… #ModiSarkar2 #ModiSwearingIn,” wrote one user referring to Parrikar.
Non inclusion of Sushma Swaraj in the new Cabinet also drew flurry of tweets from the social media users.
“Govts may change, the cabinet may change, but Sushma Swaraj will go down as the most likeable cabinet ministers India has ever had,” said one tweet.
“It’s a pity to not see people like @arunjaitley & @SushmaSwaraj among the ministers today. I wish them both well as they deal with the health issues that have kept them out of union cabinet,” former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted.
The induction of BJP President Amit Shah in the Cabinet drew mixed reactions on social media. While many congratulated him, others criticized him.
“The man of the match for the 2019 elections. Congratulations Amit Shah ji. Your tremendous skills will now play out in government!” wrote one user.