As the opposition INDIA bloc stopped the BJP juggernaut at 240 seats, the big brother is now dependent on allies for government formation. The allies, led by seasoned politicians and coalition-era veterans N Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar, are pushing hard for key ministries at the Centre. In a recent NDA meeting, both Naidu and Kumar made their demands known, though specifics remain undisclosed as negotiations continue.
Speculation suggests that Naidu’s TDP, which secured 16 Lok Sabha seats and swept the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls, is seeking five ministerial positions, including a Minister of State for Finance and the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post. The TDP may also aim for portfolios such as Roads, Panchayati Raj, Health, and Education. However, it is not known if he is still pushing for a special status for Andhra Pradesh, a longstanding demand which prompted TDP’s bitter exit from the NDA in 2018.
Nitish Kumar’s JDU, with 12 MPs in the Lok Sabha, expects two cabinet berths and one MoS role, with the Railways Minister being a key target, according to reports. The JDU has already called for a review of the controversial Agniveer scheme, which it believes had an adverse impact on the 2024 Lok Sabha election results. KC Tyagi, JDU chief spokesperson, has said there is resentment against the Agniveer scheme in several states.
A special status for Bihar could be another condition for the support.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who was on the same flight to Delhi as his former boss on Wednesday, said that the Bihar CM should leverage his position as “kingmaker” in the NDA to ensure special status for the state.
“NDA has numbers but we want the government which will be formed to take care of Bihar and ensure that it gets special status. It is a good opportunity for Nitish Kumar if he is the kingmaker, he should make sure that Bihar gets a special status and conduct caste-based census in the entire country,” Yadav told media.
Sources indicate the Nitish Kumar-led party will also advocate for a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) and a coordination committee to ensure its implementation. A CMP outlines the shared agenda of coalition parties, and JDU sources suggest Nitish Kumar is well-suited to head this committee, a role once held by the late George Fernandes during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
Amid speculation that Naidu and Kumar could also be approached by the opposition INDIA bloc, which was exploring a government formation bid till Wednesday evening, the BJP has secured written letters of support from the TDP and JDU. Both of them are known for their flip-flops for self-goals.
The JDS, which won two seats and lost rape accused Prajwal Revanna’s Hassan, is also eyeing a central ministerial position for HD Kumaraswamy. The party, led by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, has positioned itself as a farmers’ party and is likely looking to bag the Agriculture Ministry.
Other NDA allies the BJP must consider include Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, which won seven seats in Maharashtra, and Chirag Paswan’s LJP, which secured five seats. It remains unclear if Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena, with two seats, will seek a central role. Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal (Sonelal) held ministerial positions in the previous two Modi governments, but her party’s tally has dropped from two seats in 2019 to one. The coming days will reveal if she retains her ministerial position.
The BJP has secured 240 seats, 32 short of the 272 needed for a majority in the Lok Sabha. With the TDP and JDU together holding 28 seats, and additional support from other allies, the NDA will exceed the required majority.
Meanwhile, the INDIA Opposition bloc has won 232 seats. Top leaders of the bloc met in Delhi yesterday to discuss their strategy.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Kharge ruled out government formation and said, “The constituents of the INDIA bloc thank the people of India for the overwhelming support received by our alliance. The people’s mandate has given a befitting reply to the BJP and their politics of hate and corruption. This is a mandate in defence of the Constitution of India and against price rise, unemployment and crony capitalism and also to save democracy. The INDIA bloc will continue to fight against the fascist rule of the BJP led by Modi.”
“We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people’s desire not to be ruled by BJP’s government. This is our decision and we altogether agreed on these points and we will keep up with the promises we have made to the people,” he added.
