Narendra Modi, who is due to be sworn in as Prime Minister on Monday, is in the midst of sorting out ministry-making issues that all prospective government leaders face. The difference, however, is this: since Mr Modi commands an unambiguous mandate, the first for any PM aspirant in 25 years, he needs to bring himself under no pressure whatever, either from his party or an ally in allotting Cabinet berths.
The only quarter likely to influence the PM-designate is the RSS, the mother Hindutva organisation, with which he has been in extensive consultations over many days. But the RSS is not the kind of outfit that will hold a sword over his head to have all its wishes fulfilled at one go.
It is an organisation that has considerable flexibility and experience, and is expected to give Mr Modi a free hand to run his realm so long as he is in broad sympathy and agreement with its aims and thinking. Perhaps the RSS will also give Mr Modi clearance to have a brand new BJP chief all his own. (The word of the RSS virtually counts as law in choosing a BJP president.) Rajnath Singh, a contemporary of Mr Modi and a leader of significance in his own right, may be inconvenient for the man who is to take charge as PM. Mr Singh, then, will probably have to content himself being a Cabinet minister.
Party seniors like Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Sushma Swaraj — who were unhappy with the idea of Mr Modi as BJP PM nominee before the election — have few cards left as they deal with the PM-designate in finding suitable positions for themselves. Mr Advani is reportedly keen to become Lok Sabha Speaker, a constitutional post in which he will be relatively autonomous of the PM, but Mr Modi is yet to offer his one-time guru any reassurance.
Naturally, the eventual size of the government or the number of ministers to be sworn in with the PM will depend on whether or not Mr Modi will merge ministries that cover a particular broad area. Some of these were disaggregated by earlier PMs. While efficiency in government functioning is one consideration, a number of MPs from states such as UP, Bihar, Gujarat and Rajasthan, where the BJP’s electoral performance was breathtaking, may hope to bag berths for themselves, at least as junior ministers.
Mr Modi’s invitation to SAARC leaders, including Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, may still be thought of symbolism though the Pakistan leader may wish to have a proper professional dialogue on bilateral matters. There is no harm if the basic contours of the future framework of contact can be established.
