Daijiworld Media Network

Panaji, May 30 (IANS): Former Union Minister of State for AYUSH and North Goa MP Shripad Naik will be inducted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet later on Thursday, informed sources said.

Naik, who won the North Goa Lok Sabha seat defeating his nearest Congress rival Girish Chodankar by 80,247 votes, had also served as a Union Minister of State in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government.

"Shripad Naik has received a call from the Prime Minister's Office informing him about the appointment," the sources said, adding that Naik had also been sounded out about the likely portfolio.

Naik, a five-term MP, has never been appointed a full fledged cabinet minister.

State BJP General Secretary Narendra Sawaikar has congratulated Shripad Naik on his selection.

In the previous Modi regime, Naik served first as Union Minister of State for Tourism, but in a subsequent reshuffle was made Union Minister of State with Independent Charge of the newly formed AYUSH Ministry.