Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to present his claim to form a new coalition government on Friday after a crucial meeting with the newly-elected MPs of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), according to sources. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been deeply engaged in negotiations with its alliance partners since the election results were announced on Tuesday.
The NDA secured 293 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. Despite previously holding a majority on its own, the BJP won only 240 seats this term, falling short of the 272 seats needed to form a government independently.
The BJP’s coalition partners, whose support is essential for reaching a majority, include N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 16 seats, Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) [JDU] with 12 seats, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena with 7 seats, and Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas with 5 seats.
This diverse group of regional parties is using its newfound influence to push for ministerial positions. The TDP is reportedly seeking five cabinet posts, including the position of parliamentary speaker. The JDU is keen on securing two major portfolios: railways and rural development.
Coalition-era veterans N Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar have been in discussions with their party leaders ahead of today’s NDA meeting.
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However, the BJP is reluctant to share control of key ministries within the Cabinet Committee on Security, such as defence, finance, home affairs, and external affairs. Additionally, the BJP aims to retain portfolios critical to its infrastructure and welfare agendas, including road transport and highways.
These coalition negotiations hark back to a pre-2014 era, before PM Modi’s sweeping victory that gave the BJP an outright majority, when alliance partners frequently bargained for positions and benefits.
PM Modi will chair the NDA meeting on Friday, where he is expected to be formally elected as the leader. Later on Friday, he will meet President Droupadi Murmu to stake his claim to form the government.
The oath-taking ceremony for PM Modi is scheduled for Sunday evening in a grand event.
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