NE MPs seek to remain on Modi's radar
Source: The Sangai Express / Ninglun Hanghal
New Delhi, May 24 2014 :
Elected BJP and NDA partner MPs from the North Eastern states too dashed to New Delhi and are camping in the capital as soon as the results of the Lok Sabha elections were declared on May 16 .
With the new Government formation finally taking shape and the swearing in ceremony slated for Monday, hectic lobbying for portfolios and post is underway.
Key leaders in the BJP who are likely to be inducted in Modi's cabinet included Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi, Nitin Gadkari, Gen (Retd) VK Singh, Ram Vilas Paswan, SS Ahluwalia.
From the NE States, Ministerial hopefuls include Nephiu Rio of the NPF, one of the NDA allies, who heads the North East Regional Parties' Front (NERPF) as its convenor.
Rio is reportedly promised a "high ranking ministerial berth" by the NDA leaders.
Close on the heels is PA Sangma of National People's Party, a veteran politician from the region and former Lok Sabha Speaker.
He too is rumoured to get a prominent place in the NDA Government.
Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi's concept of "Minimum Government; Maximum governance" is expected to effect downsizing of the Government, clubbing several related Ministries into one.
Beside the key DoNER Ministry, Ministries that possibly could be offered to the North East MPs include Tribal Affairs and Minority Affairs.
Barring Rio (Nagaland) who was seen rubbing shoulders with key BJP leaders in recent weeks and sources in his camp confirmed his lobbying for a key Ministerial portfolio, others such as PA Sangma (Meghalaya) could not be reached for they have been evading media contact.
While veteran BJP MP Bijoya Chakravarty (Assam) also dismissed questions on the ongoing formation of the Government, Ministers etc, she told The Sangai Express that she was not in the capital over the last weeks.
Two time BJP-MP, Kiren Rijiju said that he would accept any decision of the leaders and underlined that his priority is his constituency (Arunachal West) .
He candidly he told The Sangai Express that many NE MPs were Ministers in the Union Government in the past, but no major changes have been witnessed.
On being asked about DoNER as key Ministry for NE, with the NDA coming in power, the Arunachal MP stated that DoNER is entirely dependent on all the rest of the Ministries.
"It will be upto the goodwill of the Union Government and its financial situation and priority," he explained.
"DoNER's resources come from about 10 percent each of the rest of
the Ministries" .
The hectic lobbying by NE MPs and hope of getting portfolios come with the strength of 12 MPs out of the total 24 seats in the Lok Sabha.
For the first time all SAARC countries were invited to the swearing in of the new Prime Minister of India on Monday.
The move is expected to boost diplomacy and influence the region.
Confirmation have come in from Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Bangladesh will be represented by Speaker Shirin Chaudhury as Premier Sheikh Hasina is travelling to Japan at the time of Modi's swearing-in ceremony.
As the country waits for the big day, Delhi is literally turned into a fortress.
Full proof security cover arrangement in and within the vicinity of Raisina Hills with offices nearby to be closed 5 hours before the event at 6pm on Monday.
The event is expected to have about 3,000 guests.
Delhi Police and other security agencies are on high alert for the ceremony especially after the attack on Indian Consulate in Afghanistan's Herat province yesterday.
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