Narendra Modi to honour allies with ministerial berths

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi’s meeting with all 29 NDA allies on Tuesday gave a partial picture of the government in making.

The impressive array of NDA allies, who brought 54 MPs to the NDA tally of 338, were given pride of place and were feted along with victorious BJP MPs. Top party sources say allies, especially in states where NDA wants to expand, would be given ministerial berths and patronage.

Indications of this were plain in Modi’s address to NDA MPs. He made particular mention of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, Puducherry CM N Rangasamy and DMDK chief Vijaykanth in his speech, showing a definite southward shift in BJP’s plans to grab space. With BJP’s vote share in all these places going up, party sources say expansion plans are afoot, especially in Telangana, Seemandhra and TN. To this end, TDP is likely to get one Cabinet rank and a minister of state.


Apna Dal chief Anupriya Patel, whom Modi blessed as his daughter at the meeting, is also likely to be adjusted in the government. “There is scope for the alliance to expand in Uttar Pradesh,” she told ET.

Nagaland CM and MP Neiphiu Rio is also expected to find a place in the government as part of the party’s northeast expansion plan. NPP’s leader Purno Sangma too is likely to be accommodated.

With instability in Bihar government, Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan is also important. A Cabinet berth to him and a minister of state portfolio for NDA’s only Muslim MP, Mehboob Ali Kaiser, is also likely.