With the BJP falling short of a
majority in Lok Sabha, its allies in NDA have started bargaining hard for plum ministries at the Centre. The allies, including Coalition-era veterans N Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar, are learnt to have put forward their demands in the NDA meeting held yesterday. No official word on what they have demanded is out yet, but hectic negotiations are on, it is learned.The BJP has won 240 seats — 32 short of the majority mark of 272 in Lok Sabha. TDP and JDU together hold 28 seats and along with BJP’s other allies, NDA will be past the magic figure.
The INDIA Opposition bloc, on the other hand, has clinched 232 seats. Top leaders of the bloc met in Delhi yesterday to discuss the way forward.
There is speculation that Mr Naidu’s TDP, which has won 16 Lok Sabha seats and also swept the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls, has demanded five ministerial berths, including a Minister of State post for Finance, and the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post. TDP may also be looking at portfolios such as Roads, Panchayati Raj, Health and Education.
The JDU, which now has 12 MPs in Lok Sabha, expects two Cabinet berths and one MoS role, party sources have said. The Railways Minister post will be a key choice, they added. The Nitish Kumar-led party may also press for a Common Minimum Programme for the new NDA government and a coordination committee to ensure its implementation. A Common Minimum Programme is a resolution, outlining the shared agenda of parties in a coalition.
Join our whatsapp group for Latest updates