In the much awaited Cabinet expansion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Tuesday, Rajasthan got four ministers, and Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh got three ministers each.

The expansion clearly had the stamp of Modi and Amit Shah as the selection was apparently done after considering the political and social conditions in each State.

By inducting Anupriya Patel and Ramdas Athawale, two more NDA allies — Apna Dal and Republican Party of India — have got a berth in the Cabinet. Shiv Sena is apparently unhappy for being denied another Cabinet berth.

By the induction of three MPs from Uttar Pradesh, Patel, Krishna Raj and Mahendra Nath Pandey, the NDA is clearly trying to expand its base among OBCs, Dalits and Brahmins in the State where elections are due in early 2017. Krishna Raj is considered a strong face against the BSP in Western UP for her work among the Dalit community.

Modi had said the expansion would reflect the Budget focus and priorities. The induction of MJ Akbar, SS Ahluwalia and Arjun Ram Meghwal is also an indication that Modi wants to bring new "talent" to his Cabinet.

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