New Delhi: According to sources, the JDU would hold two positions in the upcoming government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Chandrababu Naidu TDP would hold four portfolios. Three of the four TDP leaders, Daggumalla Prasad, Harish Balayogi, and Ram Mohan Naidu, could be included in PM Modi’s new cabinet.
Lalan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur are two prominent, leaders whose names have been suggested by Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United). Lalan Singh was elected from Munger, Bihar, to the Lok Sabha, while Ram Nath Thakur is a Rajya Sabha member MP. Mr. Thakur is the son of Karpoori Thakur, a recipient of the Bharat Ratna.
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Nitish Kumar’s JDU and Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP
The choice of cabinet positions was made during a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting in advance of tomorrow’s swearing-in of the new administration.
Following their victory in Andhra Pradesh with 16 Lok Sabha seats, the TDP reportedly ran for four ministries, including speaker of the house of representatives. JD (U) had secured 12 MPs and had requested two cabinet positions.
The BJP only managed to gain 240 seats, which is less than the 272 seats required for a majority government. As a result, Mr. Kumar and Mr. Naidu emerged as kingmakers. With the massive victory of the NDA in the 543-member Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to administer the oath of office for the third straight year on Sunday.
The coalition talks are reminiscent of a time before 2014, when PM Modi won an absolute majority of the BJP and alliance partners fought for seats and perks.
Speculation about a spectacular reunion between Nitish Kumar and the INDIA alliance emerged on Tuesday night, following the realization that the BJP would not secure 272 seats by itself. Prominent figures in India, such as Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, proposed that Nitish Kumar be given an olive branch.
Sources close to Nitish Kumar on Thursday ruled against this option, but with a catch: the BJP brass was allegedly urged to keep in mind that Nitish Kumar had quit the INDIA group due to delays in talks over the allotment of ministerial berths, declaring him to be its Convenor.
Sunday will be PM Modi’s third consecutive term of ‘office’ matching the record held by the first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. There will be leaders from a number of neighboring nations present at the swearing-in ceremony, including those from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Mauritius.
