New Delhi: Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP will get four portfolios while JDU will get two in the new government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said. Three of the four TDP leaders who may find a place in Prime Minister Modi’s new government are Ram Mohan Naidu, Harish Balayogi and Dagomala Prasad.
Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) suggested the names of two senior leaders – Lalan Singh and Ramnath Thakur. Lalan Singh was elected to the Lok Sabha from Munger in Bihar, while Ramnath Thakur is a Rajya Sabha MP. Mr Thakur is the son of Bharat Ratna recipient Karpoori Thakur.
The decision was taken during the National Democratic Alliance meeting to decide on ministerial posts before the swearing-in of the government tomorrow.
According to sources, after winning 16 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh, the TDP demanded four portfolios and the post of Speaker. The JD(U) demanded two Cabinet berths after winning 12 seats.
Kumar and Naidu emerged as kingmakers when the BJP managed only 240 seats, short of the 272 needed to form a majority government. The NDA won 293 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, a landslide victory, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be sworn in for a third consecutive term on Sunday.
The alliance talks are reminiscent of the pre-2014 era – when Prime Minister Modi came to power with the BJP’s absolute majority – in which alliance partners bargained over posts and benefits.
A sensational buzz over a Nitish Kumar-Bharat bloc reunion emerged on Tuesday evening after it became clear that the BJP would not win 272 seats on its own. Top Bharat bloc leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have suggested that Nitish Kumar should be offered an olive branch.
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On Thursday, sources close to Nitish Kumar ruled out the possibility but left a trail on the tail; As the two sides were engaged in talks over allocation of ministerial berths, BJP officials were asked to remember that Nitish Kumar had pulled out of the India Bloc over the delay in his appointment as its coordinator.
Prime Minister Modi is set to take oath for the third consecutive term on Sunday, equalling the feat of first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The swearing-in ceremony will be attended by leaders of several neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Mauritius.
