File photo of Sumitra Mahajan
A day before
Narendra Modi takes oath as the 15th Prime Minister of India, hectic parleys are on to give final shape to the new government.
Sources have told NDTV that senior BJP leader and eight-time MP from Indore Sumitra Mahajan could be named the Lok Sabha Speaker. Ms Mahajan is the longest serving woman parliamentarian. (
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Apart from Ms Mahajan, the other name doing the rounds for the post is Karia Munda, who was the Deputy Speaker in the 15th Lok Sabha.
This is going to be a setback for senior party leader LK Advani who has reportedly expressed his keenness for the Speaker's post in which he doesn't have to directly report to PM. Sources said Mr Advani's name is not being considered for the post.
Sources have also said that senior lawyers Uday Lalit and Mukul Rohatgi are the contenders for the post of Attorney General.
Amidst hectic discussions on formation of the new government, indications have emerged that Mr Modi, 63, would have a small Cabinet that will take oath along with him on Monday in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan. (
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The list of ministers to be inducted into the new Cabinet is likely to be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee tomorrow. (
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Sources say some senior BJP leaders including Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Shourie, Ravi Shankar Prasad are expected to find a place in the Cabinet. (
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The BJP is also considering berths for its allies, say sources. The Shiv Sena, Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party are expecting ministries, based on their good performance in the polls. The Akali Dal, the BJP's Punjab ally, has said it won't join the central government. (
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Meanwhile, Mr Modi is expected to restructure the government, which will include merger of some ministries, to "remove anomalies" for the effective delivery of governance.
To give final touches to the Cabinet, Mr Modi yesterday held a series of meetings with party leaders.
The BJP won a massive mandate in the national election, winning 282 seats on its own - a clear majority - and 336 seats with its 29 allies.