Manish Tiwari replaces Ambika Soni as I&B Minister

Ambika Soni, who had taken up the post of Minister of Information and Broadcasting in 2009, resigned a day ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle.

Manish Tiwari was announced the Minister of Information and Broadcasting (I&B Minister) on October 28. Ambika Soni resigned as I&B Minister on October 27, a day ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle.

Manish Tiwari replaces Ambika Soni as I&B Minister

In the reshuffle, 10 new ministers were added to the Cabinet. Among them was Tiwari, who was the spokesperson for the Congress and was in the news for his anti-Anna remarks last year, after which the Congress had abandoned him.

Tiwari is a Minister of Parliament from Ludhiana. He was the president of the Indian Youth Congress from 1998 to 2000. He lost the 2004 Lok Sabha Elections but successfully contested the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections. Currently, he is the spokesperson of the Congress party.

The erstwhile I&B Minister, Soni, was appointed in 2009. Earlier, she was Minister of Tourism and Minister of Culture in 2006.

Soni began her political career in 1969 when she was co-opted into the Congress party by Indira Gandhi. In 1975, she was elected president of the Indian Youth Congress, while in March 1976, she was elected to the Rajya Sabha. Later, she became the president of All India Mahila Congress in 1998.

From 1999-2006, she was general secretary of All India Congress Committee. She was Minister of Tourism and Minister of Culture in the UPA-I government between 2006 and 2009. In May 2009, however, she was appointed as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the UPA II government.

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