Top leaders of the NDA- BJP, TDP, JD(U), LJP amongst others engaged themselves during the day to consolidate the process of Government formation as well as held deliberations of the shape of Council of Ministers to be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
After the National Democratic Alliance parliamentary meeting, the top BJP leaders Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh met party president JP Nadda at his residence and discussed on the demands of the NDA partners.
TDP’s N Chandrababu Naidu, JD(United) Nitish Kumar, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Chirag Paswan of Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas have emerged as key parties after the BJP failed to cross the halfway mark needed to form a Government in its own right.
Sources said Naidu, Nitish and Shinde met Nadda separately to discuss their demands and possible Cabinet formation. Naidu was the first to meet Nadda. After that Kumar and Shinde met Nadda. Before meeting with key NDA partners, Nadda held a deliberations with Shah and Rajnath Singh, soon after the NDA parliamentary meeting is ended.
The TDP wants five posts in the Cabinet, including parliamentary speaker. Kumar's JD(U) is also keen on getting two major portfolios - railways and rural development, sources said. Sources said talks are going on and the outcome is not known to others as discussions were held between top brass of the two parties. As of now, nothing has been finalised.
Sources said Naidu and Kumar, both coalition-era veterans, conducted discussions with their party leaders ahead of the NDA meeting today.
The BJP, however, is not keen on accommodating allies in four key Ministries that come under the Cabinet Committee on Security — defence, finance, home affairs, and external affairs. The BJP will also not want to let go of portfolios that are critical to its infrastructure push, such as road transport and highways, or its welfare agenda, sources said.
The four allies whose support is critical for the BJP to reach the majority are N Chandrababu Naidu's TDP, which has won 16 seats, Nitish Kumar's JD(U) (12), Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena (7) and Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (5).
Naidu and Kumar — on Friday endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance with a message to balance regional aspirations and national interests.
The NDA won 293 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The BJP, which enjoyed a handsome majority in the previous two terms, secured only 240 seats, way behind the 272 mark needed to form a Government.
It is learnt that BJP is considering giving the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development ministries to JD (U) while Civil Aviation, Steel & Deputy Speaker Post could go TDP. NDA allies can be appointed as Ministers of State in important ministries like Finance and Defence. Tourism, MSME, skill development, science and technology, earth sciences, and social justice and empowerment may also be given to allies.
