Nirmala Sitharaman took charge as the Defence Minister of India today amid chanting from the Vedas and a puja by Tamil priests. Holding a little idol of Ganesha, Sitharaman took charge as defence minister as the priest chanted shlokas. Finance minister Arun Jaitley was there to witness her elevation as defence minister.

Her induction has already raised eyebrows and whispers can be heard about the perceived tension between Sitharaman and another woman minister.

In 2013, when Nitin Gadkari was the BJP President, Arun Jaitley had suggested that Nirmala Sitharaman be given a Rajya Sabha seat, but the suggestion was vehemently opposed by Sushma Swaraj, another parliamentary board member of the party.  

Four years later, things have changed and with Narendra Modi in the driver's seat, Sitharaman as became defence minister.   Now, Sushma Swaraj has to sit with Nirmala Sitharaman as members of the CCS -- Cabinet Committee on Security -- which is the highest policy making body of the Union Cabinet on national security matters.   The other members of the CCS are Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Sitharaman's elevation is an indication that for the PM, performance pays rich dividends, say BJP senior leaders.