All key portfolios for BJP, minor for allies
Portfolio allocation in the Cabinet on Monday, clearly shows that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had clearly tamed the allies by giving minor portfolios. Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United with 12 MPs, insists plum Railways has now adjusted with Panchayati Raj; and Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh is given these portfolios, which are basically State Subjects.
Both JDU and Chandra Babu Naidu‘s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) which has 16 MPs, bargaining for many Ministers is now accommodated with one Cabinet Minister each and one Minister of State each. TDP has only Civil Aviation, which is a minor portfolio after Air India’s privatization and privatization of major Airports, which are now mainly controlled by industrialist Gautam Adani, having good relations with Modi. TDP’s young Minister Rammohan Naidu is the new Civil Aviation Minister. TDP is now bargaining for the key post of Lok Sabha Speaker. Will they get it? BJP will use all its might to retain this key post.
Chirag Paswan’s LJP with 5 MPs is totally cut to size with one Cabinet Minister post. Chirag is given a minor portfolio – Food Processing Industries. The young Minister who was buttering Prime Minister Modi is literally cut into size with a very less important Ministry.
Janata Dal Secular (JDS)’s HD Kumaraswamy with two MPs was bargaining for key Ministry Agriculture. Now he has got Heavy Industries and Steel portfolios. Rashtriya Lok Dal’s (RLD) Jayant Chaudhary is accommodated as Minister of State with Independent charge of a minor department Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. He will also be the only Minister of State in Education.
The biggest loser is Shiv Sena’s Shinde faction with seven MPs. Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao from rebel Shiv Sena got only Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Ayush. He will also be a Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, headed by J P Nadda.
TDP and JDU got only one Minister of State post each. TDP’s Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani got Rural Development and Communication. JDU’s Ram Nath Thakur got Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Prime Minister Modi cleanly avoided Ajit Pawar’s NCP with only one MP, which was trying to make controversial Praful Patel, facing many corruption charges as Cabinet Minister. The rebel NCP offered only a Minister of State portfolio and they refused.
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Expect ONE nation ONE poll, to be ready by Year 2026 & go for mid-term polls to upset apple cart of all regional parties i.e. Modi 4th term to beat Pandit & Chacha Nehru’s record in number of terms & days. 16 year 278 days. Modi is only in 11th year !! Long way to go or GROW ?
Well, midterm polls are looming large. All the rats will desert the sinking NDA ship soon after UP votes BJP out.
And for those of you interested in getting a very insightful perspective of where this may all be going, do read manasatrangini’s blog entry where he discusses the poll results in the context of the future of Hindu civilization.