NEW DELHI: Hours before the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a meeting with key National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders, many of whom are expected to be appointed as ministers. The meeting took place at Modi’s residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi.
Attendees included prominent BJP figures like Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Dr. S. Jaishankar, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Piyush Goyal, who were all part of the previous cabinet. Other notable attendees were Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Jyotiraditya Scindia, JDU leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh, HAM leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, RLD’s Jayant Chaudhary, JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy, LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, and Jitin Prasada.
The gathering included newly elected MPs who are likely candidates for cabinet positions. They were invited for high tea ahead of the oath-taking ceremony scheduled for 7:15 PM at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
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FLASH: Just hours before the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, PM Narendra Modi met with several NDA leaders, many of whom are expected to be appointed as ministers in the new government. #NewGovernment #NDA #Modi #ModiCabinet #OathCeremony #UnionMinister pic.twitter.com/qlkeGJG79v
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) June 9, 2024
In the visuals released, BJP leaders like Nirmala Sitharaman and Sarbananda Sonowal were seen attending the meeting. Telangana BJP president G. Kishan Reddy and party leader Bandi Sanjay also joined the high tea event. BJP heavyweights Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Kiren Rijiju, Manohar Lal Khattar, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and others were present as Modi addressed the MPs.
According to the speculations, outgoing ministers like Amit Shah (Home), Rajnath Singh (Defence), Nitin Gadkari (Roads and Highways), Nirmala Sitharaman (Finance), and Dr. S. Jaishankar (External Affairs) are expected to retain their portfolios. Allies such as Chirag Paswan, HD Kumaraswamy, Anupriya Patel, Jayant Chaudhary, and Jitan Ram Manjhi are also poised for ministerial roles. Shiv Sena, represented by Prataprao Jadhav, and Ramdas Athawale from the Republic Party of India (A) are set to join the cabinet.
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The BJP’s tally in the recent Lok Sabha elections fell to 240 seats, below the majority mark of 272. This reliance on allies like TDP and JDU, with 16 and 12 seats respectively, has elevated their roles in the new cabinet. TDP leaders Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani and Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu are likely to secure positions, as announced by party leader Jay Galla.
Security has been tightened for the swearing-in ceremony, with five companies of paramilitary forces deployed at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Leaders from neighboring countries, including Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and others, are expected to attend.
Narendra Modi will be sworn in for a third consecutive term, equalling Jawaharlal Nehru’s record. The NDA unanimously elected Modi as their leader on June 5, marking a significant moment in Indian political history.