Modi Meets Shah Ahead Of Government Formation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held final round of consultations with Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah and is learnt to have given shape to his council of ministers ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of his new government today evening.

The list of Union ministers may be sent to the Rashtrapati Bhavan soon, according to people in the know. Modi will take oath along with a new council of ministers for a second term at 7 pm., following a landslide victory last week.

Modi and Shah have held several rounds of discussions in the last two days ahead of government formation. Modi government 2.0 is likely to have representation from most allies and showcase the party's newfound strength in different regions, the people said.

BJP allies such as Shiv Sena, Janata Dal (United), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Lok Janshakti Party, Akali Dal and Apna Dal are set to be represented in the government. Each National Democratic Alliance ally is likely to get one cabinet berth, the people said.

The Shiv Sena has confirmed its leader Arvind Sawant, who defeated Congress heavyweight Milind Deora from Mumbai South constituency, will be its nominee in the council of ministers. The LJP has passed a resolution recommending its President Ram Vilas Paswan as the party's representative.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's decision to opt out on health grounds has fuelled speculation about who will get his coveted portfolio. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who filled in for Jaitley and presented the populist pre-election budget, is being seen as a key contender.

There is also buzz about Shah, who has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Gandhinagar and is an architect of the BJP's thumping victory of 303 seats in the general election, joining the government.

If Shah joins the Modi cabinet, he may get one of the four major portfolios: finance, home, defence or external affairs. The BJP refrained from making any official comment about members of the government, with its leaders asserting that it's the prime minister's prerogative.

Senior party leaders like Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Narendra Singh Tomar, Prakash Javadekar, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Dharmendra Pradhan and Smriti Irani are likely to join the second Modi government after being its members in its first avatar.

The swearing-in ceremony in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan is expected to be grand affair with about 8,000 guests, including leaders from the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation countries, opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, chief ministers, corporate honchos and film stars, watching as President Ram Nath Kovind administers the oath of office and secrecy to 68-year-old Modi and his ministerial colleagues.