Smriti Irani gets I&B Ministry, Urban Development goes to Narendra Singh Tomar

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi today gave the additional charge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to Textiles Minister Smriti Irani after M Venkaiah Naidu resigned from the Cabinet to contest the vice-presidential poll. The portfolio of Urban Development, which too was with Naidu, was given to Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, the PMO said.  

The additional charge of the Ministry of I&B has been given to @smritiirani.

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 18, 2017

Shri @MVenkaiahNaidu has resigned from his ministerial responsibilities. Additional charge of @Moud_India has been given to Shri @nstomar. — PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 18, 2017

Venkaiah Naidu, who has been named as the vice-presidential candidate of the ruling NDA coalition, has submitted his resignation from the positions he was holding in Modi cabinet. Naidu was having the portfolios of Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information and Broadcasting. After filing his nomination papers, in a press conference, he said-"Office of Vice President is a different profile, has its functional norms. Hope I will be able to do justice. Grateful to PM." "Honored to be a candidate for Vice President of India. I have been actively engaged in public life for over four decades," he added. Naidu, a prominent leader of the BJP, also served as its national president from 2002 to 2004.