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Why Amit Shah kept Narendra Modi company on his Gujarat, Varanasi visits

PM-elect Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah left Delhi for two days Sunday, together visiting both their constituencies in UP & Gujarat.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah have been out of Delhi since Sunday, making the rounds of their constituencies to thank voters. What they have also been doing, ThePrint has learnt, is outlining the contours of the next government away from the lobbying efforts underway in the capital.

The BJP, which attained a majority by itself in this year’s Lok Sabha election, is set to form the second successive National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre Thursday, when President Ram Nath Kovind administers the oath of office to Modi and his council of ministers.

According to a highly-placed source in the party, Shah was accompanying the PM to finalise the list of ministers, with the duo combining this exercise with visits to Gandhinagar and Varanasi to thank local voters. In Gandhinagar, the PM also visited his mother.

While Shah has been elected from Gandhinagar with a margin of over 5.5 lakh votes, Modi has retained Varanasi with nearly 4.8 lakh.

A source in the party told ThePrint that travelling together had given the two ample time to finalise ministerial candidates.

“Both prepared the list while travelling together. The travel schedule accounted for the list and the need to finish it in the stipulated time,” the highly-placed source added.

The two have now returned to the Capital.

Another senior party leader said a few tweaks may still be in order in the BJP list in light of Shah’s “extensive meetings and consultations” with state in-charges on additions that can be made.


Also read: Modi era begins in politics as caste factor fades. Here’s why he won’t be easy to beat


Looking for berths

Shah and Modi left Delhi as several MP-elects parked themselves in the national Capital and visited the houses of senior ministers and the BJP chief with the ambition of securing a berth in the Modi-II Cabinet.

A senior parliamentarian who won a Lok Sabha seat for the fourth time told ThePrint that he had already visited two “top ministers and RSS functionaries” to push his case for ministership.

A senior MP from one of the states where the BJP lost during the 2018 assembly elections even gave a detailed presentation on why he should be considered.

How new Modi govt may look

A source told ThePrint that almost all NDA constituents are going to be treated on a par in berth distribution.

“The JD(U) is likely to get two berths, one Cabinet and one MoS,” the senior leader said. “Similarly, the Shiv Sena is likely to get two berths. Apna Dal can get one,” the leader added.

The states of West Bengal, Telangana and Odisha, where the BJP has made stunning inroads this election, are likely to find considerable representation in the council too.

According to BJP members who have participated in the discussions on berth distribution, Modi and Shah are thinking of appointing at least two to three ministers from West Bengal, where the party has won an unprecedented 18 of 42 seats.


Also read: Not just Modi’s personality, this key factor was behind BJP’s massive win in 2019 elections


“This would send a larger message to the state, which is still awaiting decimation of the TMC,” a leader said. “Telangana, where we have won four seats, is likely to get a minister as well.”

While the names on Modi and Shah’s list have not been shared with anyone, the preceding discussions suggest several faces of the first NDA administration may be set for a comeback, sources said.

These include Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh, Piyush Goyal, Smriti Irani, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ravi Shankar Prasad, J.P. Nadda, and Prakash Javadekar.

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