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Regular-article-logo Monday, 23 December 2024

BJP's flip-flop on Sushma Swaraj's next role

Harsh Vardhan tweeted to congratulate Sushma for getting appointed as governor of Andhra Pradesh, then the tweet was deleted

Our Special Correspondent New Delhi Published 11.06.19, 12:52 AM
Sushma Swaraj

Sushma Swaraj Picture by Prem Singh

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday evening tweeted to congratulate former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for getting appointed as governor of Andhra Pradesh.

After sometime, the cabinet minister deleted his tweet without citing any reason. Before he could delete the tweet, Sushma was flooded with congratulatory messages.

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The events on the social media platform provided a peak into the functioning of Modi 2.0 government and indicated that at least some cabinet ministers feel that the sidelined senior leader was being considered for a governor’s post.

Sushma, considered an active minister on Twitter when she held the foreign portfolio, responded later, saying a visit to Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu could have triggered the Twitter buzz and added that the news was “not true”.

“I called on the Vice-President of India Shri Venkaiah Naiduji on demitting office as Minister of External Affairs. This was enough for Twitter to appoint me as Governor of Andhra Pradesh,” Sushma tweeted.

“The news about my appointment as Governor of Andhra Pradesh is not true,” she added.

Some BJP leaders felt that Harsh Vardhan’s tweet could just have spoilt Sushma’s chance at rehabilitation. Party leaders said both Modi and Shah were firm in maintaining secrecy and violations did not go unpunished.

Against expectations, Sushma was not made a minister in the second Modi government. She had not contested the Lok Sabha polls on health reasons but was expected to come through the Rajya Sabha route and get appointed as a minister.

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