Shah frontrunner for either Finance or Home, Piyush Goyal, Nadda Yadav top choices for key berths; govt likely to bear stamp of party’s impressive show in WB, Odisha, NE, Telangana
New Delhi:
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s decision to opt out on health grounds has fuelled speculation about who will get the coveted portfolio with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who filled in for Jaitley and presented the populist pre-election budget, being seen as a key contender.
There is also a buzz about Shah, who has been elected to Lok Sabha from Gandhinagar and is a key architect of his party’s landslide win, joining the government. If Shah joins the Modi cabinet, he is likely to get one of the four major portfolios; finance, home, defence or external affairs. The BJP has refrained from making any official comment about the likely members of the government, with its leaders insisting that it is the PM’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, who defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, are likely to join the second Modi government after being its members in its first avatar.
Though External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj did not contest the Lok Sabha elections on health grounds, there is a view within the party that she will also be a part of the new cabinet. About 60 ministers may take oath.
If Shah joins the government, then J P Nadda and Bhupender Yadav are seen as top choices for heading the party. BJP allies like Shiv Sena, JD(U), AIADMK, LJP, Akali Dal and Apna Dal are also set to be represented in the government. A BJP leader said the government is likely to bear the stamp of the party’s impressive show in new regions like West Bengal, Odisha, North East and Telangana.
On the eve of his swearing-in for a second term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a marathon meeting with BJP president Amit Shah as he gave final touches to the shape of his government, which is likely to have representation from most allies and showcase the party’s newfound strength in different regions.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s decision to opt out on health grounds has fuelled speculation about who will get the coveted portfolio with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who filled in for Jaitley and presented the populist pre-election budget, being seen as a key contender.
There is also a buzz about Shah, who has been elected to Lok Sabha from Gandhinagar and is a key architect of his party’s landslide win, joining the government. If Shah joins the Modi cabinet, he is likely to get one of the four major portfolios; finance, home, defence or external affairs. The BJP has refrained from making any official comment about the likely members of the government, with its leaders insisting that it is the PM’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, who defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, are likely to join the second Modi government after being its members in its first avatar.
Though External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj did not contest the Lok Sabha elections on health grounds, there is a view within the party that she will also be a part of the new cabinet. About 60 ministers may take oath.
If Shah joins the government, then J P Nadda and Bhupender Yadav are seen as top choices for heading the party. BJP allies like Shiv Sena, JD(U), AIADMK, LJP, Akali Dal and Apna Dal are also set to be represented in the government. A BJP leader said the government is likely to bear the stamp of the party’s impressive show in new regions like West Bengal, Odisha, North East and Telangana.