Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be sworn in this evening for a second straight term after his BJP’s incredible victory in the national election. After meetings held for longs hours between PM and Amit Shah, amid intense speculation hours before the oath ceremony at the presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhavan, calls have started going out to those who will be in the cabinet, say sources.
Sources say the calls are being made by BJP president Amit Shah from the Prime Minister’s home. Amit Shah, who has led the party since 2014 and is credited with its spectacular run in elections, has been PM Modi’s confidant for over two decades.
Those likely to stay on as ministers are Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Nirmala Sitharaman, Suresh Prabhu, Smriti Irani, Ravi Shanka Prasad, VK Singh and Ram Vilas Paswan.
Smriti Irani, the “kingslayer” after she defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his family borough Amethi, is expected to be rewarded with a big ministry.
One leading face likely to be missing from the new cabinet is Arun Jaitley, who wrote to the Prime Minister yesterday saying he did not want any responsibility in the government as he needed treatment. Mr Jaitley, who was always in charge of key ministries and was one of the chief defenders of the BJP-led government, wrote in his letter: “I am writing to you to formally request you that I should be allowed a reasonable time for myself, my treatment and my health and therefore, not be a part of any responsibility, for the present, in the new government.” Mr Jaitley is a diabetic. His health worsened after he had a kidney transplant in May last year.
The swearing-in ceremony will begin at 7 pm, with nearly 8,000 guests attending the grand event. Leaders of BIMSTEC countries, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan, have been invited in line with the government’s “Neighbourhood First” policy.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother, Sonia Gandhi, will also be present at the oath ceremony.
