Narendra Modi To Meet Pranab Mukherjee; To Stake Claim To Form Govt

Bhartiya Janata Party’s parliamentary board is all set to meet shortly where veteran Lal Krishna Advani will propose Narendra Modi’s name as Prime Minister designate and the rest will approve of it.

Modi, under whose leadership the BJP won a massive mandate in the country, will formally stake his claim to form the government by meeting President Pranab Mukherjee today around 2.30 PM. He is expected to be accompanied by all NDA leaders.

The NDA and other ally leaders have been meeting Modi and Rajnath separately to discuss the prospects of government formation. While Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel and YSR Congress leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy called on Modi, Shiromani Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal met BJP chief Rajnath Singh.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has already left Mumbai to meet Modi today. Badal, who will also meet Modi today, is expected to be accompanied by his son and deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal and his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is the MP from Bhatinda, and the other party MPs.

Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio have already met Modi.

The new prime minister is expected to be sworn in by the weekend. The preparations have already begun in the court of President house where he is expected to be sworn in.

Before that, Modi will visit his old constituency Maninagar in Gujarat to say goodbye to his people and resign from his post of Gujarat chief minister. He is expected to announce the name of new CM On May 21 while he is in Gujarat.

He decision on the cabinet will be taken by Modi and he has met Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley in this regard. He also visited LK Advani at his home. But they all are very tight lipped about who will get what portfolio.

BJP is expected to announce it formally before the swearing in ceremony.

Party functionaries, including Modi, have also been meeting RSS leaders. It will be interesting to see what influence the Sangh Parivaar will yield on government and cabinet formation.