The snapshots of Narendra Modi welcoming colleagues Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari with flowers at his Gandhinagar residence will no doubt have archival value for the Bharatiya Janata Party. After all, this could well be the last occasion when Modi hosts party top brass at his chief ministerial bungalow. It's nearly certain now that once results of the Parliamentary elections are declared on Friday, Modi will have to move to Delhi.
Arun Jaitley with Narendra Modi. AFP.
Second, by offering them flowers and seating everyone close together he has sent out the message that he's a team player too even if it's his word that will be final in the government and possibly in the party.
The third reason for the significance of Wednesday's meeting that lasted five hours is that it's likely that the broad contours of government formation, engaging with prospective post-poll allies, identifying key ministers, deciding on a timeline to anoint Modi’s successor in Gujarat and deciding on LK Advani’s future role were all discussed.
Fourth, though the BJP’s highest decision making body, the Parliamentary Board, will meet on Friday evening, as has been the party convention by which the body meets on results day to take stock of the final numbers and draft strategy for the days ahead, the composition of Wednesday's Gandhinagar meeting signals that there is a new formation of close confidantes of Modi and the RSS, an emerging core group away from the official core group. A name or two could be added at later stages when Modi shifts his base to Delhi and as the situation develops and demands but this is surely the new power clique in the BJP. This meeting would have drawn broad issues and parameters on which the Parliamentary Board would be expected to deliberate on Friday.
Needless to say, Sushma Swaraj’s absence from this meeting is interesting. This meeting was by invitation from Modi and she was not part of it. She will have an important position in the NDA government but given the fact that her relations with Modi have not exactly been cordial, there is a question mark on whether she would be in the top four ministers occupying North and South block at Raisina Hills. Rajnath and Gadkari had met had before leaving for Gandhinagar. Sources said they met to discuss her preferences and her opinion on certain other subjects. Later, Sushma landed in Bhopal and dismissed reports that she was sulking: "It is not true that I am annoyed or the party leaders are mollifying me on any issue," she said.
A party source informs that all talks of government formation and what shape it will take actually depend on the actual results. He told Firstpost that before any discussion on possible key ministers, Modi has to ascertain Ranjath’s mind on whether he would like to join the Cabinet or remain party president. He suggested that Modi would ask Rajnath Singh to take one of the most important ministerial positions, Defence or Home, but it would be entirely up to Rajnath what he would like to do.
Rajnath Singh in his earlier interaction with Firstpost had said that he as party president would certainly be most gratified to see that party win these elections and would continue in same position and further strengthen the party. But other leaders close to him say that once the party wins the elections, he should move next stop to lend a helping hand to Modi in the government and strengthen it. He would be the clear number two in the Modi government and should play the role which Advani played in the Vajpayee government.
If Rajnath joins the government, then a search for a new party president begins. Modi would surely like to build the party in states such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Haryana, Assam, the north-east, etc where he made his presence felt, and further to consolidate in states where the BJP already has a big presence. Will Gadkari make a comeback or will Amit Shah be rewarded, are the questions on the minds of party leaders. But that issue will come up only after government formation.
Advani has to be out of the government and continue to be Chairman of NDA. The other veteran leader Murli Manohar Joshi is expected to join the government in whatever capacity.
Jaitley, Gadkari, Sushma, Venkaiah, Anath Kumar, Ravi Shankar Prasad and others will have key positions but all eyes would be on who occupies the top four positions of Home, Defence, Finance and External Affairs. If security both internal and external has been the main plank of Modi’s campaign, economic revival has been foremost on agenda. Handling of external affairs under Modi regime would be most sensitive and minutely observed by people within and outside the country. The three leaders Rajnath, Jaitley and Gadkari definitely qualify for the top billing. Will there be any surprises, a professional joining them in the big league, is the other question being asked in BJP circles. After all, the four biggies in the Vajpayee government, Advani, Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and George Fernandes are out of the reckoning.
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