BJP govt formation gathering steam

Notwithstanding gestures of protest by NDA allies against the invite extended to SAARC heads of states, especially Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, for Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi’s swearing-in, the process of government formation is progressing smoothly in the BJP’s high echelons.

The BJP’s southern ally, MDMK chief Vaiko, met party president Rajnath Singh to reiterate his demand to rescind the invitation to the Sri Lankan President.

Similar protests have been lodged by other major parties in Tamil Nadu, including the AIADMK and the DMK.

However, relations between the BJP’s allies, present and prospective, continue to flourish in the aftermath of the party’s spectacular victory in the general elections.

Although formally not part of the NDA, AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa and Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik have reportedly been in touch with BJP leaders ever since the election results came out.

Modi, who will be sworn in on May 26, landed in the capital yesterday evening after handing over the Gujarat CM post to Anandiben Patel.

Since then, he has held a series of meetings with party leaders and was closeted for a long time on Friday with his core group in the party, including Rajnath, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari and Arun Jaitley, at Gujarat Bhawan.

The BJP is tight-lipped about the line-up for Modi’s Cabinet and dismissed reports about Cabinet formation as “idle speculation”.

“The media is indulging in a lot of speculation about Cabinet formation.

“All I can tell you is that what is being spread and splashed across television and newspapers is plain guess work.

“It is a serious exercise that is being conducted with the kind of solemn attention that it requires.

“You just have to wait and watch,” said BJP’s senior spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad.

At Modi’s grand inauguration ceremony, besides heads of SAARC states, all the NDA allies, chief ministers and other party leaders have been invited.

Although only a handful of Cabinet Ministers are expected to take oath along with Modi, and the BJP has a clear majority on its own in the Lok Sabha, NDA allies are being assured of their rightful place in the government.

Accordingly, Akali Dal chief and Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal and his son and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal met Rajnath at his residence. RSS leader Ram Madhav too met the party president at his residence, marking the continuation of a series of such meetings between Modi, Rajnath, Sushma Swaraj and several senior RSS leaders since the election results were declared.