New govt formation: PM Modi, ministers likely to take oath on June 9

Leaders of some of India's neighboring countries, such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal, are set to attend the oath-taking ceremony

The new Union council of ministers led by Narendra Modi will likely take the oath of office on Sunday evening even as two of the leading constituents of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) — on Thursday demanded that the new government initiate nationwide caste census and review the Agniveer Scheme. The two demands were made by JDU's KC Tyagi and LJP (RV)’s Paswan.

Leaders of some of India’s neighbouring countries, such as Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and her Nepalese counterpart Pushpakamal Dahal 'Prachanda', are set to attend the oath-taking ceremony. Other leaders from India’s neighbourhood likely to attend are from the Maldives, Bhutan, Mauritius and Seychelles.

NDA parliamentary party and top functionaries of its constituents will meet in the Central Hall of Parliament on Friday to officially elect Modi as their leader. NDA leaders, such as Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, along with Modi will then call on President Droupadi Murmu to submit their letters of support for him and stake their claim to form the next government.

On the eve of the meeting, senior BJP leaders Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh met at party’s national chief J P Nadda’s residence to hold discussions about the shape of the next government. They were also in contact with NDA allies, especially the TDP and the JDU, who have put forth their concerns and expectations relating to the states that they rule — Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, respectively — besides seeking their share in the Union council of ministers.

In other developments, Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar and the two ECs met President Murmu on Thursday evening to submit the list of newly elected Lok Sabha MPs. With the election process over, the EC also lifted the model code of conduct, which was enforced with the announcement of the polls on March 16.

Several world leaders have called up Modi to congratulate him on his victory. Wickremesinghe and Hasina telephoned to congratulate Modi on Wednesday evening. In separate conversations that Modi had with the two, he invited them to attend the swearing-in ceremony, which both leaders accepted. The state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) quoted M Nazrul Islam, Hasina’s speech writer, as having told it that the Bangladesh PM will leave Dhaka for New Delhi on Friday evening. Nepal PM ‘Prachanda' will attend the swearing-in ceremony, according to a PTI report from Kathmandu.

However, China on Thursday protested over Prime Minister Modi’s comment that he looked forward to having closer ties with Taiwan, and insisted that New Delhi resist Taiwan authorities' “political calculations”. China views Taiwan as a rebel province that must be reunified with the mainland, even by force.

“First of all, there is no such thing as ‘president' of the Taiwan region,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing when asked by a Western journalist for her reaction to the wording in Modi's message, according to a PTI report from Beijing.

Who wants what
 

* The BJP is keen to retain finance, home, defence and external affairs portfolios, which comprise the Cabinet Committee on Security

* The TDP and the JDU are negotiating to get 3-4 spots in the council of ministers, but have insisted that priority remains granting of special category status to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar

* A JDU MP said his party hoped that its representation in the council of ministers would be “respectable” and factor in the Bihar Assembly polls slated for next year

* The JDU and other allies, such as the RLD, have suggested that the NDA have a steering committee, or a coordination committee, of which Bihar CM Nitish Kumar could be the convenor

* The LJP (RV)’s Chirag Paswan set to become a cabinet minister

* Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said his son and Kalyan MP Shrikant will not become a minister at the Centre and that the party will recommend senior MPs for ministerial berths

* Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party, TDP’s alliance partner that has two MPs, could also get a ministerial berth

* JDU’s Tyagi said his party is not opposed to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) but all stakeholders should be consulted on it.