(Image source from: Modi to claim new government today tight-lipped on cabinet})
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Prime Minister candidate, Narendra Modi, who swept the 2014 Lok Sabha elections with a massive mandate, will stake his claim to form the next government of India today, as per the protocol.
Mr. Modi will meet President Pranab Mukherjee at 11.30 am to stake for the same. Prior to that, he will be elected as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party's parliamentary board by the 282 elected MPs, a formality that will enable the President to appoint him to the top job of the land. The swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place sometime between May 25-May 27.
Speculations are rampant on the probable BJP leaders who might acquire the ministerial berths. Some of the top names being tossed around for the top portfolios are Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari, Murli Manohar Joshi and Venkaiah Naidu. Party vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is likely to be the only Muslim in Modi's 'darbaar'. It's also being speculated that former minister Arun Shourie might cinch the Finance Ministry while Jaitley may get External Affairs. Leaders from Shiv Sena, TDP, Akali Dal and LJP are likely to be handed down some ministries.
It is not yet know what role party veteran LK Advani would be handed in the new dispensation. Reportedly, he is keen on being the Lok Sabha Speaker, which is a constitutional post. That way, he won't have to report to the Prime Minister. Modi, however, has remained tight-lipped on the formation of his Cabinet.
Meanwhile, a large group of newly elected MPs are jockeying for key ministerial berths in Modi's cabinet. The cabinet hopefuls have queued up in from of Gujarat Bhavan in New Delhi waiting to meet him. Modi, however, has ticked down the delegation of BJP MPs from Karnataka, headed by BS Yeddyurappa and Ananth Kumar, asking them to concentrate on strengthening the party hold in the state rather than angling for ministries.
Meanwhile, buzz is that Kamal Nath might become the next leader of opposition. According to PTI , party President Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul Gandhi are not willing to take up the post of Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. So the role might naturally fall in Kamal Nath's lap, the senior most Congress MP.
Kamal Nath might be selected as the Leader of the Opposition if the Speaker of Lok Sabha eases off the rules or acknowledges the entire UPA as a block, which has 56 MPs. Congress, singularly, won just 44 seats in the Lower House this time. To be in the Opposition, a party must at least win 10 percent of the total strength of the 543-member House - that is 55 MPs.
Of course, there is no hard and fast rule about this and exceptions can be made by the Speaker. It's also being speculated that AIADMK and Trinamool Congress, which has 37 and 34 members respectively, might join forces to form the Opposition.
AW: Suchorita Choudhury
