Sushma Swaraj had opted out of fighting the Lok Sabha election due to health reasons.
Hundreds of people wished and thanked Sushma Swaraj on Twitter, after it became clear on Thursday that she is sitting out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government. She served as the Foreign Minister in the previous government.
The 67-year-old leaves a legacy of an easily-accessible Foreign Minister who helped the Indians abroad in distress with her quick response on Twitter to requests for help. Even banal or joking requests drew a response from Sushma Swaraj.
Ms Swaraj was seated in the audience as PM Modi and 57 minister were sworn in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday evening.
Taking to Twitter over an hour after the swearing-in ceremony ended, Ms Swaraj prayed that the new government, in its second term, functions with glory.
"Prime Minister ji -- as External Affairs Minister, you have given me opportunity in the last five years to serve the countrymen and Indians abroad and accorded me a lot of respect at personal level. I am grateful to you. I pray to God that our government functions gloriously," she said in a tweet in Hindi.
Jammu and Kashmir politician Omar Abdullah tweeted, "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."
Priyanka Chaturvedi, who switched from the Congress to the Shiv Sena, a BJP ally, shared a warm note: "The country will miss you in the cabinet . You brought in emotions and values to a ministry which always seemed so clinical!" Ms Chaturvedi tweeted.
Veteran actor Soni Razdan replied to Ms Swaraj's tweet, "Those of us who read about your good deeds with admiration will always admire you."
Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Maneka Gandhi and Jayant Sinha are some of key ministers from the previous government who are not part of the new dispensation.
Ms Swaraj had opted out of fighting the Lok Sabha election due to health reasons.