Anurag Thakur, Who May Not Be Part Of Modi 3.0 Cabinet, Says...

Former Union Minister Anurag Thakur today congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers who are taking oath this evening at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Mr Thakur, who held the sports, and information and broadcasting portfolios in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's last cabinet, has apparently been dropped, sources said.

"I extend my best wishes and congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his third term and heartiest wishes to all his ministers and may they do a wonderful job and take the country forward in the next 5 years," he told reporters.

Mr Thakur is one of the three former ministers -- along with Smiriti Irani and Narayan Rane -- who may not take oath today as part of the Modi 3.0 cabinet, sources have said.

Unlike Ms Irani, both Mr Thakur and Mr Rane have won the general election from their constituencies. Mr Thakur won from Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur and Mr Rane from Maharashtra's Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Thakur has bid goodbye to the Modi 2.0 cabinet, which was dissolved after the election results came in on Tuesday.

"As I bid adieu to this amazing team, I am reminded that it is the dedication of each member that truly holds the strength. A great team can indeed move mountains," his post read.

Expressing his gratitude to PM Modi, he added, "Thank you to my wonderful team for making these years so memorable. Your invaluable contributions have played a crucial role in the Viksit Bharat journey, and you will always hold a special place in my heart".

The Council of ministers taking oath this evening at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, is expected to include a number of NDA allies, with the BJP falling short of majority for the first time in a decade.

The spotlight will be on Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party, which won 16 seats, and Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United, which added 12 seats to the NDA tally. The BJP has won 240 seats -- 32 seats short of majority.