File Photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted all his 44 ministers to dinner tonight in Delhi, said sources. Anant Geete, the Shiv Sena minister in the union government, reportedly flew down to attend the event.
The Shiv Sena and the PM's party are at a delicate point in their relations - as the BJP gears up to form the new government in Maharashtra, it has to decide whether it will tie-up with the Sena after an acrimonious split in September ahead of the state election. Negotiations for a reunion have reportedly not begun in full earnest.
It is five months since the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance or NDA won the general elections and on the menu at dinner today, said sources, was a pep talk from the PM.
Mr Modi also reportedly discussed the government's plans to push through important reforms like Foreign Direct Investment in insurance through Parliament in the winter session.
The government today recommended an Ordinance or executive order to facilitate the auction of coal blocks cancelled by the Supreme Court last month.
Over the weekend, his government freed diesel prices from government control - the biggest-yet reform by his government and one which targets one of India's costliest subsidies.
The BJP's massive gains in the elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, where the party will form the next government, could help speed up more reforms.
The election results in both states will also significantly strengthen the BJP's power in the Rajya Sabha or upper house of Parliament, where the government and its allies lack a majority. The composition of the Rajya Sabha is based on seats won in state assemblies. As the BJP and its partners add to their numbers, they will be less reliant on the opposition's support in clearing key legislation, which must be approved by both houses of Parliament.
Mr Modi's massive mandate in the national election in May came after he pledged to revive the lethargic economy and clean up endemic corruption, but critics have been urging for faster and deeper reforms.