BJP workers and supporters on Monday celebrated the historic moment of the swearing-in of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of the country with joyful demonstrations, fire-crackers and sweets, though nobody from the State had been included in his Council of Ministers and that there was no strong speculation on any Keralite’s induction into it in near future.
As most of the top BJP leaders of the State were in Delhi taking part in the swearing-in ceremony, second-rung leaders led the celebrations in the district headquarters while Monday evening saw joyful processions in all cities and towns and even in remote villages. BJP does not have a representative from Kerala in the 16th lok Sabha.
However, the Kerala media had been discussing over the past several days the possibility of Modi inducting someone from the State — either a BJP leader or someone from outside the party famous for his prowess in the field of his work — when he expanded his Ministry in the future.
State BJP leaders like its president V Muraleedharan and former Union minister O Rajagopal had said that Kerala could not expect to get a minister in the Modi Cabinet after failing once again to send a BJP member into Parliament. Rajagopal had served as a minister of State in the former Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government.
Meanwhile, Congress CM Oommen Chandy, who skipped the swearing-in ceremony due to “pressing’ pre-scheduled engagements in the State, said he would meet the new PM — if it was convenient to him — on June 2 during his Delhi trip. The State BJP had termed as unfortunate decision not to attend the event.