A history in making

New Delhi: Stage is set for the historic swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India. He is credited with creating a groundswell of support in his favour, decimating the Congress with its worst-ever defeat and finishing the regional players in a few States, especially those having a tie-up with the Congress, in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Modi earns the unique distinction of emerging as the first truly non-Congress leader to secure an absolute majority on his own.

Amid great fanfare, Modiwill take the oath as Prime Minister in the presence of the SAARC Heads of State and Government, including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who have been specially invited, in a first of its kind. Modi will be sworn in along with his Cabinet colleagues with the list, tight and compact, shown to the RSS. BJP leader Arun Jaitley has emerged as the frontrunner for the Finance Ministry’s post, though it is also being stated that Arun Shourie is eyeing for the same post. Jaitley may then opt for the External Affairs Ministry. BJP President Rajnath Singh is being tipped for the Home Ministry, while Sushma Swaraj may get Defence, if not External Affairs. Nitin Gadkari will be contented to get Urban Development or any Infrastructure Ministry like Transport, while Ravi Shankar Prasad may get the Law Ministry. Senior leaders like Ananth Kumar, Murli Manohar Joshi and M Venkaiah Naidu are all sure to find berths in the Cabinet.

The final touches to the Cabinet were being given till Sunday evening, with the list expected to be sent to the President by Monday morning. Modi has kept the list of the Cabinet Ministers close to his chest, with no one seem to be having any insight on the names and portfolios of the ministers.

Modi’s confidant J P Nadda is being tipped to become the BJP President in case Rajnath Singh gets the Home portfolio. BJP patriarch L K Advani may continue as the NDA Chairman, while the much-coveted Speaker’s post is likely to go to former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Karia Munda or to Sumitra Mahajan.

All the other die-hard supporters of Narendra Modi like Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who defeated Lalu Yadav’s wife Rabri Devi in Saran, Shahnawaz Hussain, M A Naqvi, Prakash Javadekar, Smriti Irani are likely to be accommodated in his Cabinet. Uma Bharati and Gopinath Munde will also be rewarded in the ministry.

From the Allies, TDP is sure to get one Cabinet berth and two Ministers of State, with one MoS having Independent charge. TDP MP P Ashok Gajapati Raju is being tipped for a senior berth in the Cabinet. Similarly, going by the strength of each party, all the Allies, including Shiv Sena and SAD will get their share in the Cabinet. LJP supremo Ram Vilas Paswan will become Cabinet Minister along with his newly-elected son Chirag Paswan, who will get MoS berth.