Three new ministers from Kerala?

Amidst the busy negotiations of seat formation in Delhi, the BJP can’t yet heave a sigh of relief as the Telugu Desam Party and JDU will continue pestering the saffron party for key portfolios. With seats far lower than the majority mark, it is a given that the BJP will have to stride forward taking along both TDP and JDU. Achieving special status for Andhra Pradesh and roping in huge funds for the state will be what TDP eyes on with this alliance.

Meanwhile, JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, a ruthless realpolitik, will hammer many of BJPs stated goals in the state of Bihar including the Agniveer scheme. Nitish wants caste census to be taken in his state and BJP will be forced to oblige regardless of them detesting the scheme. The caste census ploy was even the biggest political promise made by the INDIA alliance ahead of the elections. The Samajwadi Party and the Congress were able to make big advances in UP because of the support of backward classes, Dalits and Muslims. The caste census has been a long-standing demand of the backward sections of the country. Let us hope that the Prime Minister will clarify his position in this regard.

Some departments have achieved brilliant success under the Modi government in the last ten years. The two most important departments are Foreign Affairs and Defense. Undoubtedly, the Indian External Affairs Department has been able to enhance India's image in the international forum and among the coterie of the world's strongest countries.

The meticulous performance of the external affairs ministry was credited largely to the astute work of S. Jaishankar, who headed the External Affairs Department, and V. Muraleedharan, who worked as the Minister of State. When it comes to numbers, Kerala will account for having the most Indian expatriates abroad. So, it would not be of kilter to give the ministry of state again to a Keralite this time.

It is hoped that Suresh Gopi, the BJP candidate who won for the first time from Kerala, will get an important department for the welfare and progress of the people of the state. At one point in the second UPA cabinet, there were as many as seven ministers, including two cabinet ministers from Kerala. This time, as part of spreading the saffron influence across Kerala, the BJP aims to give three major ministries to BJP leaders from Kerala.

Major changes are taking place in the defense department including modernization and production of ammunition, munitions and missiles. Arms exports alone could earn India a large amount of foreign exchange in the coming years. BJP has already confirmed about not giving away key portfolios of Home, Defense, External Affairs and Finance to any of its allies. It can be more or less confirmed that the cabinet will have representation from all sections of India.