Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s number two, will now be in charge of the newly formed Ministry of Cooperation in addition to his existing Home Affairs post. The new charge was revealed today as part of a major restructuring of ministries that saw some long-serving officials replaced by newcomers.
The establishment of the Ministry of Cooperation was announced Monday, to give the cooperative movement in the country more clout. According to a press release from the Cabinet Secretariat issued yesterday, its vision statement is “Sahkar see samriddhi” (Prosperity via Cooperation).
The Modi government’s plan to create a new Ministry of Co-operation is in line with a pledge made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget statement earlier this year.
Mr. Shah, who is considered the BJP’s closest ally, will keep the Home Affairs post, which he has held since PM Modi’s return to power in 2019.
He has been a companion on PM Modi’s decades-long political journey. Under Chief Minister Narendra Modi, he was in charge of the Gujarat home ministry. Mr. Shah is regarded as an adept political strategist who has played a significant role in most of Prime Minister Modi’s successes.
