Would be privileged to serve nation as Minister of State, says Rajiv Pratap Rudy

Hours before the expansion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Council of Ministers is to take place, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy said on Sunday that he would be privileged to be a part of the Cabinet and serve the nation as a Minister of State (MoS) with independent charge. "It is a privilege to be a part of PM Modi's cabinet as MoS (Independent Charge) to serve the nation," Rudy tweeted.

It is a privilege to be a part of @narendramodi cabinet as a MoS (Independent Charge) to serve the Nation.

— Rajiv Pratap Rudy (@RajivPratapRudy) November 9, 2014

Rudy, a former civil aviation minister, represents the Saran Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar. As many as 20 new faces are expected to be inducted into the Union Council of Ministers on Sunday.

Manohar Parrikar, who tendered his resignation as the Chief Minister of Goa on Saturday, is expected to take charge as the country's next Defence Minister. Besides Parrikar, party MPs Anurag Thakur, Col. Sonaram Chaudhary and Hansraj Ahir are among those likely to be included in the Cabinet.

BJP leaders Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Bandaru Datttatreya are also expected to be allotted Cabinet berths. Former union minister Yashwant Sinha's son Jayant too is in the race for the Cabinet berth, with reports suggesting that the first-time Hazaribagh MP is being considered as a Minister of State (MoS) for Defence or Finance.

Olympian shooter-turned-politician Rajyavardhan Rathore, who won from Rajasthan in the general elections, is also expected to be included in the Cabinet. Shiv Sena's Suresh Prabhu and Anil Desai, and TDP's YS Choudhary are expected to find a place in the Cabinet.

According to reports, the upcoming assembly elections in different states are also being taken into consideration while finalizing the list of new faces.