JP Nadda's residence becomes venue for cabinet formation discussion

NEW DELHI: After securing the support of the NDA parties, the BJP leadership on Thursday held discussions related to the formation of the new government. The leaders gathered at BJP president JP Nadda's 7-B residence in Motilal Nehru Marg in Delhi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Prahlad Joshi, Mansukh Mandaviya, Ashwini Vaishnaw, BJP national general secretaries Tarun Chugh, Vinod Tawde and others participated in the meeting in the morning. By noon most of the leaders, including Rajnath Singh, returned. However, Amit Shah continued the discussion with the BJP national president.

It is indicated that the conditions put forward by the allies regarding the ministers and their portfolios were discussed in the meeting. Sources also said that the BJP leadership discussed about the BJP MPs who should be made ministers in the new government.

With the JD(U) gaining bargaining power in the NDA, a parallel meeting was held at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish's number 6 residence in Kamaraj Lane. Leaders such as Lalan Singh, KC Tyagi and Harshavardhan Singh participated. The leaders rejected the news that they had put forward conditions, including in the ministerial posts. Lalan Singh said that the JD(U) is giving unconditional support to the Prime Minister. At the same time, he reiterated the JD(U)'s positions of special status for Bihar, caste census and revision of the Agniveer scheme. He said the party was not against the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code and wanted consultation in this regard.