New Delhi, Jul 5 (Agencies): Of the 19 new faces in the Narendra Modi cabinet is Ramesh Jigajinagi from Karnataka, who took oath as a Minister of State (MoS) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Ramesh Jigajinagi is a sitting Member of Parliament from Vijaypura, and the only BJP MP representing one of the 28 Scheduled Caste constituencies in south India. Jigajinagi was born in 1952. He has done his BA from SB New Arts College, Bijapur. He has been Lok Sabha MP five times.

Jigajinagi first contested the Assembly elections on a Janata Dal ticket in 1983. He has changed parties, but has been able to retain vote from his constituency.

The BJP state unit had recommended Jigajinagi's name hoping that it would help the party garner Dalit votes in the next Assembly elections, sources said.

A popular leader in north Karnataka, Jigajinagi is known as a social worker with a clean image. He has been a member of several parliamentary standing committees.