Modi Begins Govt. Formation Exercise

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Modi Begins Govt. Formation Exercise

Amit Shah disinclined to join the Govt.

Search for LS Speaker begins, Rajnath, Tomar considered

Modi visits ailing Jaitley, disinclined to become FM

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, May 24

After the historic mandate, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi began the process of government formation today. He tendered resignation to the President today after the customary Cabinet meeting who asked him to continue until the new government takes oath of office. Earlier in the day, he called on the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who has been advised rest and wished him on his marriage anniversary too. The PM was desirous of his continuation and a last word is yet to be written as everything depends on his health condition.

Another issue is the choice of new Speaker of the Lok Sabha after Sumitra Mahajan was denied the ticket.

Highly placed sources say that two names are doing the rounds for the coveted post- Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Rural Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Rajnath Singh will be considered only in the event of BJP president Amit Shah becoming the Union Home Minister. But Amit Shah is disinclined to join the government until he completes two terms of three years each. Secondly, he also wants to win Delhi Assembly in 2020 and West Bengal in 2021. He has also told his confidantes that the party's footprint has to be expanded in areas where it has negligible presence. Modi has a tough task to find some hidden talent among the 303 Lok Sabha MP s. Once a decision on the Speaker is taken, rest of the positions like External Affairs, Defence, Finance and Home will fall in place.

There are also indications that some world leaders may be invited for the Swearing-in-Ceremony including Russian President Vladimir Putin. World leaders have already congratulated him. Other global leaders may also come, if Modi opts to make it a mega event like 2014.

Railways and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal will be new FM if Jaitley finally refuses to hold the post. Giant killers; Smriti Irani and Ravi Shankar Prasad are set for a promotion too. Senior BJP leader Santosh Gangwar will be the pro tem speaker and he will sworn along with the new members of Lok Sabha.

Ends 

Rajnath wants to quit as HM

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

All is not well in Sangh Parivar

Special Report

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, May 17 :

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is understood to have expressed his desire to quit the government and serve the party organization. Rajnath Singh who is number two in the Modi government, has reportedly conveyed to the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to permit him to be relieved from government duties and be sent back to the party. 

He reminded the RSS chief that it was on his directions in May 2014 that he had quit as BJP chief and joined the government. However, he finds himself somewhat at odds to continue further in the government.  It is not known what exactly transpired between Rajnath Singh and Mohan Bhagwat when they met on Thursday last. 

But authoritative sources close to Rajnath Singh say that he has couple of grievances. Rajnath was deeply hurt last year when allegations against his son Pankaj Singh surfaced in the media and the government opted to remain silent What pained him most was drastic cut in the Budget of his ministry dealing with police modernisation and sending L C Goyal as home secretary without even consulting him. Rajnath was only informed about it. L C Goyal is considered close to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval as both belong to Kerala cadre of all India services. Even the Intelligence Bureau though technically under the Union Home Ministry, doesn't listen to MHA. Rajnath Singh may be a member of the Cabinet Committee of Appointments (ACC), he is hardly consulted on key appointments.

Rajnath Singh is understood to have also reminded Mohan Bhagwat that he didn't want to go to the government in the fist place. But it was on the directions of the RSS that he moved over to the government. Now he be allowed to go back to the party, Rajnath Singh reportedly pleaded.

The exercise has begun within the party apparatus as complaints have grown against Amit Shah's style of functioning and defeat in Delhi Assembly polls brought his graph down too. The RSS leadership comprising Bhaiyyaji Joshi, Dattatreya Honsbole and Krishan Gopal had held detailed consultations on March 23 at the residence of Nitin Gadkari in Delhi where party matters were discussed. It was felt that someone else may be needed who can carry the party workers. Some of the frontal organizations of the RSS like the Swadesh Jagran Manch, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and Kisan Sangh have been publicly criticizing the Modi government on Land Bill and other crucial issues.

Surface Transport & Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari has been also extremely unhappy and doesn't mince words in criticizing the government and the party. Gadkari was in the news last year when reports of spy bug being found at his residence surfaced in the media. He had also been unhappy the way finance ministry allowed the CAG report to be tabled in Parliament relating to the Purti group.