Narendra Modi oath: How will BJP accommodate Chandrababu Naidu, Nitish Kumar’s parties in Cabinet?

Narendra Modi will today take the oath of office at a mega event in the national capital, in the presence of thousands of people, including foreign dignitaries. According to unconfirmed reports, around 30 ministers will be sworn-in at the ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Around 8000 people will attend Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, including Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay and Seychelles Vice-President Ahmed Afif. New Delhi has invited these foreign dignitaries as part of India’s neighbourhood first policy.

It will be the first time in Modi’s political career that he would lead a coalition government. The BJP won 240 Lok Sabha seats in the recently concluded elections. The party has drawn support from its NDA allies – N Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U).

Kumar and Naidu’s parties have won a total of 28 Lok Sabha seats, making them indispensable for Modi government 3.0’s longevity. So it is expected that leaders from these two parties will get representation in Narendra Modi’s Cabinet.

30 ministers are likely to be sworn in today, and the strength of the full council of ministers could be between 78 and 81, reported NDTV, citing sources.

The news channel reported that N Chandrababu Naidu’s party may get four portfolios, while the JDU may get two berths.

TDP’s Ram Mohan Naidu, Harish Balayogi and Daggumalla Prasad may become ministers, it added.

Nitish Kumar’s JDU has reportedly proposed the names of Lalan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur for the council of ministers. Thakur is the son of Bharat Ratna awardee and socialist icon, Karpoori Thakur.

TDP, which has won 16 Lok Sabha seats, had reportedly demanded four portfolios and the post of the Speaker. JDU, with 12 Lok Sabha seats, wanted 2 Cabinet portfolios.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is not ready to part ways with the big four portfolios — home, defence, finance and external affairs ministers, several reports said.

Some other key ministries like Railways, Road Transport, Law, Information Technology and Education may also go with the BJP, News18 reported.

The BJP has reportedly told its allies that discussions on their aspirations may take place later. The party has also asked them to pare down their hopes, reported TOI.

LJP-Paswan’s Chirag Paswan, whose party won 5 Lok Sabha seats, may also get a cabinet berth, Indian Express reported.

The INDIA bloc, which surprisingly won 234 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, had reportedly sent feelers to Kumar and Naidu, as it wanted to form a government of its own.

KC Tyagi, JD(U) leader, claimed that the INDIA bloc had offered Nitish Kumar the prime ministerial post.