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, according to news reports.

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," IANS quoted sources as saying, adding that Naik had also been sounded out about the likely portfolio.

Meanwhile, ANI quoted Naik as saying in a tweet that he has been invited to the join the government.

Shripad Yesso Naik, BJP: I want to thank the Prime Minister and Party President Amit Shah for again giving me a chance of serving the country by making me a part of the government. I have been invited to the oath taking ceremony, not been informed of the ministry yet. pic.twitter.com/83FeL1quEV

— ANI (@ANI) May 30, 2019

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.

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First Published:May 30, 2019 3:58 PM IST