TDP to get 4 ministers, Nitish Kumar's JD(U) 2 in Modi's third cabinet: Reports
New Delhi: Chandrababu Naidu's TDP will receive four portfolios in the new cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while the JDU will get two berths, NDTV reported.
Three of the four TDP leaders likely to be included in PM Modi's new cabinet are Ram Mohan Naidu, Harish Balayogi, and Daggumalla Prasad.
Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) has proposed two senior leaders for ministerial positions: Lalan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur. Lalan Singh was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bihar's Munger, while Ram Nath Thakur is a Rajya Sabha MP and the son of Bharat Ratna recipient Karpoori Thakur.
The decision was made at a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting to finalize the cabinet berths ahead of the government's swearing-in ceremony tomorrow.
According to sources, TDP had requested four portfolios and the post of parliamentary speaker after winning 16 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh. JD(U) had asked for two cabinet berths after winning 12 seats.
Kumar and Naidu emerged as kingmakers after the BJP secured only 240 seats, falling short of the 272 needed for a majority government. The NDA clinched 293 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, marking a significant victory, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take the oath for a third consecutive term on Sunday.
The coalition negotiations are reminiscent of an era before 2014—when PM Modi swept to power with an outright BJP majority—in which alliance partners haggled for positions and benefits.
Buzz of a potential Nitish Kumar - INDIA bloc reunion surfaced Tuesday evening after it became clear the BJP would not win 272 seats on its own. Senior INDIA leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, suggested an olive branch might be extended to Nitish Kumar.
On Thursday, sources close to Nitish Kumar ruled out this possibility but left a sting in the tail; with both sides locked in talks over ministerial berth allocation, the BJP leadership was reportedly reminded that Nitish Kumar had walked out of the INDIA bloc over delays in naming him as its Convenor.
PM Modi will take the oath on Sunday for a third straight term, equaling the feat of the first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Leaders of several neighbouring countries, including those from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, and Mauritius, will be attending the swearing-in ceremony.