Prince Mahir re-appointed Prime Minister; forms new cabinet

RAJAGRIHA, 20 May 2025: The election to the 17th Lok Sabha, which resulted in the ruling National People's Congress (NPC) clinching victory over all 20 seats of the Lok Sabha after the opposition, Vishwamitran National Party failed to field candidates in any of the seats resulting in the party's worst performance since its established in 2022. Meanwhile, this is for the second time, and the first since the return of multi-party democracy, that the NPC won over all seats in the parliament.

On Sunday (18 May), Prime Minister Prince Mahir tendered his resignation to the Rashtradhyaksh Varuna Sriraya and accepted his invitation to form a government for the second time. The Prime Minister, who won from his traditional seat of Srirajya, unveiled his second cabinet with a message of continuity as he retained all ministers except for his predecessor Princess Klarissa who was the First Deputy Prime Minister in his first cabinet. Some other changes were also witnessed in the new cabinet, with the post important being the promotion of Education, Science and Technology Minister Amir Abbas Arya'i as Deputy Prime Minister, and the appointment of Yasmin Sultana and Shanvika Roy, both Deputy Ministers, to cabinet rank.

The portfolios of some ministers were also changed. Following the departure of Princess Klarissa, former Prime Minister Farhan Ahmed, who was Second Deputy Prime Minister, has been re-designated as First Deputy Prime Minister and has been assigned the additional charge as Minister of National Administration in addition to his finance portfolio. Second Deputy Prime Minister Amir Abbas Arya'i will also be Second Minister of Foreign Affairs and also retained the portfolio of Education, Science and Technology. Vice Prime Minister Prince Abhivansh swapped portfolios with Raghav Deka, and will now oversee the Ministry of Planning, Development and Coordination while Deka will now be the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Local Government. Vice Prime Minister Princess Tanvi has been assigned the additional duties as Minister of Culture, and will also continue as Minister of Home Affairs. Vedant Deka has been appointed Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (new portfolio), and Communications and Information Technology. The Communications and IT ministry was previously held by Amir Abbas Arya'i.

Both the portfolios held by Vedant Deka in the outgoing cabinet have been assigned to the two newly promoted cabinet ministers. Yasmin Sultana was appointed the Minister of Social Affairs and Community Development and retained her charge as Deputy Minister of Finance, while Shanvika Roy is the new Minister of Information and Broadcasting and also retained the charge as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. No changes have been made to the portfolios of Suryadeva Kapei, Rayan Hussain, Praneet Singh, Vikrant Deka, and Ezekiel Ensor. The Prime Minister also decided not to appoint ministers without cabinet portfolio.

The full list of ministers:

1. Prince Mahir - Prime Minister, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, and Law and Constitutional Affairs

2. Farhan Ahmed - Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and National Administration

3. Amir Abbas Arya’i - Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Science and Technology, and Second Minister of Foreign Affairs

4. Prince Abhivansh - Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Planning, Development and Coordination

5. Princess Tanvi - Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, and Culture

6. Suryadeva Kapei - Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Defence

7. Rayan Hussain - Minister of Health and Sanitation

8. Raghav Deka - Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Local Government

9. Vedant Deka - Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Communications and Information Technology

10. Tyler Mullins - Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Justice and Constitutional Affairs

11. Praneet Singh - Minister of Natural Resources, Water and Environmental Sustainability, and Second Minister of Home Affairs

12. Vikrant Deka - Minister of Youth and Sports

13. Ezekiel Ensor - Minister of Federal Territories, and Deputy Minister of Defence, and Foreign Affairs

14. Yasmin Sultana - Minister of Social Affairs and Community Development, and Deputy Minister of Finance

15. Shanvika Roy - Minister of Information and Broadcasting, and Deputy Minister of Home Affairs

16. Razia Sultana - Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Local Government, and Health and Sanitation

17. Iftikar Ahmed - Deputy Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Planning, Development and Coordination

18. Parishmita Das - Deputy Minister of Culture, and Minister of Natural Resources, Water and Environmental Sustainability

Prime Minister Mahir formed his first cabinet on 2 March 2025 after his appointment. A major reshuffle was carried out on 1 April 2025 when several ministers were assigned additional portfolios and made in-charge of several departments.