New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajnath Singh and a Shiv Sena first timer in Lok Sabha Subodh Mohite were on May 24 inducted into the Union Cabinet along with the elevation of Transport Minister B C Khanduri to Cabinet rank in an expansion of the Union Council of Ministers but Trinamool Congress leader Mamta Banerjee kept away in protest against moves to bring in her party colleague Sudip Bandopadhyay.

Following her protest, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee kept on hold plans to induct Bandopadhyay.

Five new faces who made an entry into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government as Ministers of State were - Swami Chinmayanand-Uttar Pradesh, Kailash Meghwal-Rajasthan and Prahlad Singh Patel-Madhya Pradesh (all BJP), Nagmani-Jharkhand (Rashtriya Janata Dal -D) and P C Thomas-Kerala (a Kerala Congress faction).

With the May 24 inductions, the strength of the Council of Ministers goes up to 81. Of these, 31 are of Cabinet rank and 45 of Minister of State level.

President A P J Abdul Kalam administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at a brief ceremony in the Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, which was attended by Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, Cabinet Ministers and former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral.

PTI