New Delhi: Following the BJP's win of 240 seats in the recent elections, key ministries like Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Defence will most likely be overseen by veteran BJP leaders such as Amit Shah, S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh, who will continue their ministerial roles. Suresh Gopi, marking BJP's debut entry into Kerala, will possibly be considered for a ministerial position.

However, with V Muraleedharan's Rajya Sabha tenure concluding and his inability to secure the Lok Sabha seat in Attingal, prospects for his ministerial appointment are reportedly uncertain. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who demonstrated a strong performance in Thiruvananthapuram, is under consideration for significant positions.

Allies demanding positions

As the third Modi government prepares to take shape with BJP's non-absolute majority, allies are set to occupy crucial positions, including that of the Speaker and other prominent ministerial roles. Parties like Chandrababu Naidu's TDP with 16 seats and Nitish Kumar's JD(U) with 12 seats are expected to grab their positions through negotiations. Fifteen other allies are also in the fray.

TDP, the largest ally, is reportedly demanding the Speaker's post, alongside other ministerial positions, potentially marking a historic first for a non-BJP Speaker in the Modi government. Meanwhile, JD(U) is seeking assurances regarding Nitish Kumar's chief ministership and is pushing for four ministerial slots, including two cabinet positions.

Other allies such as Shiv Sena (Shinde) with seven seats and Chirag Paswan’s LJP with five seats are also eyeing ministerial berths, with LJP asking for representation in the cabinet. Parties with two seats each, Jana Sena Party, Janata Dal S, and Rashtriya Lok Dal, are expected to be allocated ministerial positions as well. There are eight other parties in NDA with one member each. Each of them are likely to ask for ministership.

Bihar's rising influence in central administration

With JDU and BJP's combined victory of 18 seats in Bihar, the State's influence in the central administration is on the rise. At least six ministers from Bihar are anticipated to join the cabinet, with JDU asserting its influence by demanding four ministerial positions, including two cabinet seats.

Leaders like Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi are expected to secure ministerial positions. As JDU outperformed BJP in Bihar, Nitish Kumar is seizing the opportunity to assert his influence both at the Center and in the State. BJP contested 17 seats and won 12 seats whereas JDU won 12 constituencies by fighting in 16 constituencies.