Singer-politician Babul Supriyo, the BJP’s West Bengal MP and junior minister in the urban development ministry, will replace Siddeshwara. Five ministers were dropped in Prime Minister Modi’s chop and churn last Tuesday when he expanded his council of ministers to 78, inducting 19 new faces. His performance in the urban development ministry has been unimpressive and senior minister M Venkaiah Naidu was said to be unhappy with him. The minister of state for heavy industries and public enterprise, GM Siddeshwara, lost his job too. The 64-year-old MP for Davangere in Karnataka was on the list of six ministers who were to be dropped.

Source: Hindustan Times July 12, 2016 15:38 UTC