Jockeying intensifies for posts ahead of key NDA meet today
The second and third largest constituents of the NDA, the TDP and the JD(U), held meetings of their own as they finalised the list of demands.
Negotiations to form the next Union government kicked into high gear on Thursday as allies jockeyed for crucial Cabinet berths a day ahead of a key National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting in the Capital that is expected to set the stage for a third term as Prime Minister for Narendra Modi.
The second and third largest constituents of the NDA, the Telugu Desam Party and the Janata Dal (United), held meetings of their own as they finalised the list of demands even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda and Amit Shah called on Modi after meeting Rajnath Singh to discuss issues such as portfolio allocation.
In Vijayawada, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu met his 16 parliamentarians and a senior leader said that the regional party, which won a landslide victory in Andhra Pradesh, is likely to seek five ministerial berths for itself and two more for pre-poll ally Jana Sena, which won two seats. In addition, the party will seek special status for revenue-starved Andhra Pradesh that lost IT behemoth Hyderabad to Telangana during the state’s bifurcation in 2014.
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“We have a greater role to play in Delhi now. We must focus on that and make sure our voice is heard,” Naidu said at the meeting, according to an MP present at the event.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who will meet his party’s 12 parliamentarians in Delhi on Friday morning, is likely to demand four ministerial berths and special status for the state where the NDA won 30 out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats on offer.
The party is leaning towards two Cabinet and two minister of state berths with an eye on accommodating a diverse mix of castes and communities that will accrue the JD(U) maximum political leverage ahead of assembly elections due next year. A leader aware of the negotiations said that key to the party’s strategy was the state polls where it is likely to demand a lion’s share of seats to contest, and will focus on gaining advantage for that contest by its berths from Delhi.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and our party chief Nitish Kumar ji will decide the matter of Cabinet berths. But it should be respectable,” Shrawan Kumar, JD(U) Bihar rural development minister, told PTI.
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He also said the matter of representation in the Cabinet is being decided keeping the 2025 polls in mind. In 2019, a “token representation” of just one berth had been turned down by Nitish Kumar.
Negotiations have taken centre stage after the BJP won 240 seats in the general elections, stopping well short of the majority mark of 272. The Opposition’s Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) delivered an unexpectedly strong performance in three of India’s biggest states – Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal – to restrict the BJP 130 below its stated pre-poll target of 370
On Wednesday, the NDA seemed set to form the government for the third time despite the BJP’s relatively weaker showing as the grouping unanimously backed Modi and chose him as its leader. With the support of 16 TDP members, two Jana Sena members, 12 Janata Dal (United) members, seven Shiv Sena members and five Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) members, in addition to a number of smaller allies, the NDA has the requisite numbers to form the government.
But hectic behind-the-scenes parleys on Thursday – which played out even as leaders remained tight-lipped in public and projected a united face – indicated that intense bargaining was taking place.
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Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde is likely to demand one Cabinet berth and one minister of state for his seven members. More importantly, he will ask for 100 out of the 288 seats to contest in the assembly elections scheduled later this year, said people aware of developments. Shinde met all his seven party MPs on Thursday even as party leaders said instead of his son and Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde, other party members will be considered for ministerial roles.
Chirag Paswan, who is likely to join Kumar in demanding a special financial package for Bihar, is also learnt to have asked for one Cabinet berth. Paswan’s party won all five seats it contested. Similarly, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, which won both the seats it contested, is likely to ask for a ministry that will serve its rural agrarian vote base.
The developments came ahead of the NDA parliamentary meeting on Friday in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building.
According to people aware of the details, the TDP is keen on getting the Lok Sabha Speaker’s position in addition to ministries such as urban development, information technology, road transport and highways. “These are ministries that are being discussed given the fact that Amravati is high on the party’s agenda...” said a person aware of the details.
The JD(U) is seeking portfolios with an eye on consolidating its position in Bihar ahead of the polls in 2025. “Railways is the country’s biggest recruiter; rural development ministry holds the purse strings for a slew of projects including MGNREGA, which are crucial for the state. There will definitely be pressure from the ally on securing these portfolios,” said the person quoted above.
Both Kumar and Naidu will be present for the NDA meeting, after which they will join Modi to meet President Droupadi Murmu to present her with the list of parliamentarians supporting him. All BJP chief ministers, MPs and national office bearers will also meet on Friday morning before the NDA event.
In the TDP meeting that took place at Naidu’s residence in Undavalli on the outskirts of Vijayawada, the party also pledged to support the NDA throughout its term irrespective of who the BJP chooses as its legislative party leader.
Topping the list of priorities is the grant for seven backward districts – three from Uttara Andhra and four from the Rayalaseema region. “As part of the Special Development Projects Fund, we have decided to request the Centre for a 50:50 share in the metro project for Vijayawada, industry and power subsidies for five years, continuance of the Sagarmala project, and development of state and national highways,” said TDP leader Kalama Srinivasulu.
The TDP will also meet the two Jana Sena MPs before the Delhi event. “We are supporting Modi’s candidature for PM given that it was Pawan Kalyan who stitched together the alliance in Andhra Pradesh” said Jana Sena leader Ajaya Kumar.
The Opposition mocked the NDA. “Now their (BJP) arrogance will not work, shouting by their ministers will not work...Chandrababu Naidu’s and Nitish Kumar’s backgrounds don’t allow them to say ‘Modi teri jai’ [hail Modi] all the time,” said Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha.