New Delhi: Sometimes, an overwhelming majority can also become a problem, a burden. The would-be-Prime Minister Narendra Modi may face the same problem before finalizing his Cabinet. The BJP-led NDA has won 334 seats and the BJP alone has won 282 seats. There are too many ministerial aspirants. Some are old timers and have been ministers in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
Some are new faces. They also want a share in the ministry. Since it is Narendra Modi's victory, he will surely get a free hand in the selection of his Cabinet colleagues. According to an insider, it will be a mixture of old and new. Many first time MPs are also expected to be rewarded as junior ministers.
Some of the top leaders like Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari, Shantakumar, BC Khanduri, Ravishankar Prasad, BS Yeddyurappa, Gopinath Munde, Maneka Gandhi are likely to get a place in the Cabinet.
Even though Arun Jaitley has lost by a big margin, he is likely to get one of the top four ministries (Home, Finance, Defence or Foreign Affairs). Sushma Swaraj may be offered Defence or even the post of Lok Sabha Speaker. People close to her argue that she won't accept the post of Speaker as she is keen on working as a minister. There are even rumours that party patriarch LK Advani may occupy the post of Speaker.
The BJP is worried over how to accommodate other seniors like Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha, Uma Bharti, Ananth Kumar and Venkaiah Naidu. All of them are keen on joining the Cabinet.
There are at least two dozen leaders who are strong in their respective states. Some of them have even served as chief ministers and state unit presidents. They are also lobbying for their share.
Modi may even get some outsiders as ministers. Some experts who have done remarkably well in their fields are likely to be chosen as ministers. The ICICI Bank chairman, KV Kamath's name is also doing the rounds for the post of Finance minister.
There are even speculations that key infrastructure ministries like Transport, Highways, Railways and Industries etc may get some outside experts as ministers. However, Modi is tightlipped and keeping the cards close to his chest. Even the much-neglected Science and Technology Ministry is likely to get more attention under Modi. He may even bring in a top scientist as his minister.
Unlike all previous Prime Ministers since 1989, Modi is under no pressure to please the allies. Since the BJP has got absolute majority on its own, the allies like Shiv Sena, SAD, TDP, LJP etc have lost their bargaining power. Modi may reward BJP's oldest alliance partner Shiv Sena with one or two important portfolios. But, he may not show the same courtesy to others.
A senior TDP leader who does not wish to be named, said, "We are not in a position to bargain for anything. We will have to accept whatever they offer us. The scale of the victory has tilted the balance of power completely towards the BJP."
The RSS, which played the most crucial role in the victory of the BJP and hailed as the chief architect of Modi victory is expected to put its stamp of approval on the Cabinet.
The RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat and RSS joint general secretary Dattathreya Hosabale have been holding detailed talks with all stakeholders. The Union Cabinet can have 81 ministers.
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