Pranab Mukherjee: A Congress strategist and Number 2 in the Indira Gandhi Government, the veteran party leader from West Bengal is back in the corridors of power under the leadership of a man he had once appointed as RBI Governor.
Having rural roots, the 69-year-old Gandhi family loyalist makes his maiden entry to Lok Sabha in his nearly four-decade political career.
Sharad Pawar: Known for his keen political acumen, his strong leadership and thorough study of caste politics, and popularly known as "Saheb" to the masses, Pawar has always been a man to reckon with whether inside the Congress or outside it.
Born in December 1940, Pawar, a native of Baramati, became the president of the State Youth Congress at 24 and a member of the Maharashtra Assembly at 27 and Minister of State for Home five years later.
Laloo Prasad Yadav: The effervescent Laloo Yadav, who has weathered many a political storm and earned the sobriquet of "kingmaker", makes his debut in the Union Cabinet.
Known for his wit and humour and unique rustic style by which he has won the heart of the masses, the RJD supremo rose from the ranks of a student leader during the days of the JP movement to a national-level politician.
P Chidambaram: The Harvard-educated senior advocate was the Union Finance Minister in the United Front Government between 1996 and 1998.
58-year-old Chidambaram, elected to the Lok Sabha six times since 1984, was also Commerce Minister in the P V Narasimha Rao Government. Earlier he had also served as Minister for Personal Public Grievances and Pension and Internal Security (Home Department) in 1985 in the late Rajiv Gandhi Government.
Ram Vilas Paswan: One of the tallest Dalit leaders, Paswan who heads the Lok Janshakti Party returns to the Union Government after a gap of two years.
Parting ways with the NDA in 2002 in the wake of the post-Godhra communal violence in Gujarat, he quit the Janata Dal - United to float his new party.
Shivraj V Patil: For 69-year-old Patil, the return to the Cabinet was surprising given the fact that he had lost the recent Lok Sabha polls from Latur constituency of Maharasthra.
Patil brings with him a rich and varied experience as Union Cabinet Minister having held charges of various Ministries during his political career as also that of Speaker of Lok Sabha.
Mani Shankar Aiyar: From the Indian Foreign Service to Cabinet minister has been a long journey for this effervescent Congressman from Tamil Nadu.
The 63-year-old former bureaucrat had served under the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He took premature retirement from service to become a special assistant to Gandhi. Born in Lahore, he was educated in Delhi at St Stephen's College and went on to Cambridge.
Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi: A firebrand leader, he started his political career as student leader in his 30s and rose to become a top-ranking Congress leader at the national level.
Born on August 5, 1945, Dasmunshi was initiated into politics as Chhatra Parishad president in 1966 and continued to steer the students wing of the Congress for a few years before graduating to electoral politics.
Arjun Singh: A known loyalist of Nehru-Gandhi family, the Congress stalwart has seen many political ups and downs since he became an independent MLA in Madhya Pradesh in 1957 after a brief stint of practising law.
A Rajya Sabha member, Singh started his career as a student leader and had to fight allegations that his father Rao Shiv Bahadur Singh had committed forgery.
Sunil Dutt: For a man who has defied age and criss-crossed the country on foot, with the sole ambition of spreading the message of peace and communal harmony, actor-turned-activist Sunil Dutt's entry into the corridors of power has come after a long "padyatra".
Born in Kurd (now in Pakistan) on June 6, 1929, Dutt suffered the travails and tribulations of partition. However, his mother's advice, that "those who wallow in the past only learn to hate and do not move ahead in life", spurred him ahead in life.
Natwar Singh: A seasoned diplomat, 73-year-old Singh has made a mark as an able administrator, Parliamentarian and a tough negotiator on issues related to foreign affairs.
After graduating from the prestigious St Stephen's College here and continuing his higher education at Cambridge and the Peking University in China, Singh headed Indian Missions in Poland, Zambia and Pakistan besides serving in Britain as Deputy High Commissioner.
Ghulam Nabi Azad: A successful politician who has never contested an election in his home State, he led Congress Party to victory in the 2002 Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Kamal Nath: Considered close to late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi from his Doon school days, industrialist-turned-politician Kamal Nath has seen both good and bad days in Congress, sometimes inducted into the Union Cabinet and sometimes being denied even a ticket to fight elections.
S Jaipal Reddy: An eloquent speaker and Congress' media-savvy face, Reddy once again makes his entry into Government with his experience as Information and Broadcasting Minister during the United Front Government.
Sis Ram Ola: For this 77-year-old farmer from Rajasthan, being in the Union Council of Ministers is nothing new and he brings with him his previous experience of holding charge of portfolios like Chemicals and Fertilizers and Water Resources.
Hans Raj Bhardwaj: A trusted lieutenant of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, H R Bhardwaj staged a comeback in his political career after eight long years.
Meira Kumar: Daughter of late Jagjivan Ram, a former IFS officer and elected to Lok Sabha from Sasaram constituency in Bihar, she makes her maiden entry into the Union Council of Ministers.
S S Vaghela: Former Chief Minister of Gujarat, the 64-year-old veteran politician from Gujarat has had a varied experience having been a political worker since his youth.
P M Sayeed: A veteran Parliamentarian having represented the tiny island of Lakshdweep for 11 terms and unlucky to lose this time narrowly a seat which appeared to be his "permanently".
T R Baalu: A Minister in the previous National Democratic Alliance Government, T R Baalu has been elected MP for the fourth time from South Chennai constituency.
Dayanidhi Maran: Son of late Union Minister Murasoli Maran and grand nephew of DMK president M Karunanidhi, 34-year old Maran was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Central Chennai constituency in his maiden attempt to enter Parliament.
Shibu Soren: A name synonymous with decades of Jharkhand agitation for Statehood, Sibu Soren is a charismatic tribal leader who has become a Union Minister for the first time.
Raghuvansh Prasad Singh: A socialist to the core, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh comes back to the Union Ministry after his two brief stints in the United Front Government.
Paty Ripple Kyndiah: For Kyndiah, who made a hat-trick from Shillong Lok Sabha constituency this time, the journey had begun in 1962 when he first became municipal ward commissioner - much before the creation of Meghalaya as a State.
A Raja: The 40-year-old Family Welfare Minister in the previous Vajpayee Government, A Raja had come out successful from Perambalur constituency.
R Anbumani: A doctor by profession, R Anbumani, who was appointed a Cabinet Minister in the Manmohan Singh-led Government, is a debutant in the Legislative field though his Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) is one of the key allies of the Congress.
Mahavir Prasad: A veteran Congress leader and former Minister of State under P V Narasimha Rao, Prasad makes a comeback into the Government after a long gap.
Elected from Bansgaon, he was AICC general secretary and also headed the Congress in the crucial State of Uttar Pradesh. He had also served as Governor of Haryana.
K Chandrasekhar Rao: The architect of renewed movement for separate Telangana State, Rao was the pick of the recent elections in Andhra Pradesh, steering his fledgling TRS to a stunning victory and emerging as a formidable political force.
With five Lok Sabha and 26 Assembly seats in his kitty, Rao has emerged as a key player both at the Centre and the State and is set to leverage this strength to pursue his goal of Telangana Statehood.
Ministers of State (Independent Charge)
Kapil Sibal: Senior advocate and Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal might not have been a Minister in the Union Cabinet today had he not listened to a call from his "heart" way back in 1972 to refuse to join Civil Services.
Tipped to become the Law Minister, Sibal refused to join civil services and proceeded to Harvard Law School to do his Masters in Law and there had been no looking back for him as he has earned the reputation of being one of the most intelligent and crafty lawyers in the country.
Jagdish Tytler: A member of the Sanjay Gandhi brigade, Jagdish Tytler stages a splendid comeback by finding a berth in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet.
The veteran 66-year-old Congress leader of Delhi puts behind him the accusations of involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, in which he was absolved by a court here recently, and returns to Cabinet after eight years.
Oscar Fernandes: AICC general secretary and a veteran Congress leader, he is known as a troubleshooter in the party.
A five-term Lok Sabha MP from Udupi Parliamentary constituency in Karnataka, Fernandes was nominated to Rajya Sabha by Congress after he lost the 1999 elections.
Praful Manoharbhai Patel: A trusted lieutenant of Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel is currently a Rajya Sabha Member and NCP spokesman. An industrialist, Patel is partner of Chhotabhai Jethabai Patel Company in his hometown Gondia which manufactures bidi.
Prem Chand Gupta: The corporate face of RJD, Gupta is making his debut in the Union Council of Ministers.
A Rajya Sabha member, Gupta has a strong knack in finance, commerce, industry and communications and has been taking active part in Parliamentary debates on issues related to these Ministries. Born on February 3, 1950, he is a graduate in Economics.
Santosh Mohan Deb: A veteran Parliamentarian, this 70-year-old Congress leader from Assam is known for his efficiency and quick decision-making as was seen during his earlier stints as Minister in Congress Governments.
The pipe-smoking Dev began public life as chairman of the Municipal Board of his hometown of Silchar from where he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1980. He had retained the seat till 1996.
Vilas Baburao Muttemwar: Journalist-turned-politician, Muttemwar brings his experience as Minister of State for Rural Development and Employment and Parliamentary Affairs under P V Narasimha Rao.
He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 and headed the Maharashtra Youth Congress from 1981 to 1984 and rose to become joint secretary of AICC in 1985 for a three-year term.
Shylaja: Getting elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time at the age of 28 years in 1991 and having been Minister of State under Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, she definitely has experience which should stand her in good stead in her second term.
Daughter of late Congress leader Dalbir Singh who had represented Sirsa in Haryana, it was Rajiv Gandhi who had been instrumental in inducting her into politics.
Renuka Choudhary: A firebrand Congress leader, Renuka Choudhary, known more for her brawls with political rivals and aggressive campaign style, started her political career in Telugu Desam Party in 1984 with a dramatic flourish.
Choudhary, then a young housewife and a fan of NTR, shot into limelight when she participated in the agitation that broke out following the unseating of the actor-turned-politician by his deputy N Bhaskar Rao in August 1984.
Subodh Kant Sahay: As Minister of State for Home in the Chandrashekhar Government, Sahay had played a key role in the negotiations to solve the Ayodhya issue during the tenure of that Government.
