BJP in talks with allies for govt formation, NDA MPs likely to meet today: Top developments

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to form the NDA government at the Centre for a third consecutive term, with Narendra Modi poised to take oath as prime minister once again.
The newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are expected to meet on Friday to formally elect Modi as their leader. The swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place on Sunday.
It is also expected that all NDA constituents will submit letters of support for Modi as the new prime minister to the President on Friday.
Meanwhile, the guest list for the swearing-in ceremony is primarily guided by India's 'Neighbourhood First Policy' and its strategic focus on island nations considered important in the Indian Ocean region. Top leaders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, and Seychelles are likely to attend the ceremony.
As the NDA prepares to form the government, discussions are ongoing among alliance partners regarding their share of ministerial berths and the selection of probables from within their respective parties. The BJP is in touch with its allies to address various issues and concerns.
The JD(U), with 12 MPs, is the second-largest BJP ally after the TDP, which has 16 parliamentarians. The support of these two parties is crucial for the BJP to form a stable government at the Centre.
Meanwhile, the opposition INDIA bloc, which includes the Congress, has secured 234 seats in the Lok Sabha. NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule mentioned that the INDIA bloc had decided to adopt a "wait and watch" approach regarding government formation at the Centre but added that the alliance was prepared if the opportunity arose.
As the political landscape unfolds, the NDA is set to form the government with the support of its allies, while the opposition INDIA bloc remains vigilant and ready to explore any potential opportunities that may emerge.
Here are the top developments of the day-
NDA MPs to meet on Friday to elect Modi as their leader
The newly elected MPs of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance are set to convene on Friday to choose Narendra Modi as their leader, setting the stage for his third term as prime minister. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place on Sunday.
Following Modi's selection as the NDA MPs' leader, prominent alliance members such as N Chandrababu Naidu of the TDP and Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) will accompany the prime minister to meet President Droupadi Murmu and present her with the list of parliamentarians backing him, according to some alliance members.
The NDA has secured 293 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, comfortably surpassing the majority mark of 272.
TDP, second largest party in NDA, likely to join govt at Centre
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the second-largest constituent in the BJP-led NDA with 16 MPs, is expected to join the union cabinet, according to a party spokesperson. The TDP's participation in the central government is not unprecedented, as the party has been part of NDA governments in the past, including during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure as prime minister.
TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu is set to be sworn in as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh on June 12. Naidu has instructed all party MPs to attend the NDA's meeting in New Delhi on Friday, and he is also traveling to the national capital.
The TDP and its allies, the BJP and Janasena, collectively won 21 out of the 25 MP seats in Andhra Pradesh. Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP GVL Narasimha Rao stated that discussions are ongoing among NDA partners regarding cabinet positions, but no official information has been released yet.
During the previous NDA regime from 2014 to 2018, the TDP was allocated one cabinet minister post and a minister of state position, which were held by P Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Y S Chowdary (now in BJP), respectively.
Nitish Kumar's JD(U) sticks to its demand for Special Category Status for Bihar
The Janata Dal (United), a key ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has reiterated its demand for granting special category status (SCS) to Bihar. With the BJP relying on its allies to form the government at the Centre, the JD(U)'s demand has gained renewed attention.
The party, led by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, has been pushing for SCS for the state since 2011-12, and the Bihar cabinet had even passed a resolution last year requesting the Centre to grant the status.
The Centre had previously stated that it would not entertain demands for SCS from any state, following the 14th Finance Commission's recommendation to abolish it.
The SCS was introduced in 1969 to benefit certain backward states with hilly terrains, strategic international borders, and economic and infrastructural backwardness. However, the JD(U) remains firm on its demand, with senior party leader and Bihar minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary stating, "The JD(U) is part of the NDA and will remain with it. But there are certain demands of the JD(U) related to the financial condition and economy of Bihar that must be fulfilled by the Centre. Our demand for special category status for Bihar is fully justified and needs to be fulfilled. We stick to our demand for SCS for Bihar."
JD(U) hopeful of 'respectable' representation at Centre, may demand up to 3 cabinet berths
JD(U), a key ally of the BJP in NDA, is expected to demand up to three cabinet positions in the upcoming BJP-led government at the Centre. With 12 Members of Parliament (MPs), the JD(U) is the second-largest BJP ally in the NDA after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which has 16 MPs. The support of these allies is vital for the BJP to form the government, as it fell short of the majority mark in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
A senior JD(U) leader expressed the party's aspiration for a "respectable" representation in the Union Council of Ministers. Shrawan Kumar, a JD(U) leader and Bihar Rural Development Minister, stated, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi and our party chief Nitish Kumar ji will decide the matter of cabinet berths. But, it should be respectable." He also emphasized the importance of considering the 2025 Bihar assembly polls when deciding on the allocation of ministerial positions.
According to JD(U) sources, the party is particularly interested in portfolios such as railways, rural development, agriculture, water resources, and heavy industries. Some of the frontrunners for ministerial positions within the party include Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Jha, Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan', Kaushalendra Kumar, Ramprit Mandal, and Lovely Anand.
K C Tyagi, a JD(U) leader, stated that the party has called for a review of the Agnipath scheme and will continue to pursue the issue of caste census. He also clarified that the party's support for the BJP is unconditional, although they hope for Bihar to be granted special status to address the challenges faced by the state after its bifurcation.
In the 543-member Lok Sabha, the BJP secured 240 seats, falling 32 seats short of an absolute majority. However, the NDA collectively won 293 seats, ensuring their ability to form the government.
Uddhav not joining BJP-led NDA: NCP (SP) leader
Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil has dismissed speculations about Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray joining the ruling BJP-led NDA. Patil, along with NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, affirmed Thackeray's commitment to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance following the recent Lok Sabha elections, where Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP each won nine seats in Maharashtra.
The opposition bloc, consisting of Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, and Congress, secured 30 out of 48 seats in the state. Patil assured that Thackeray is focused on forming an MVA government in the upcoming state assembly polls in October.
"There is no chance that he will switch sides," Patil said when asked about speculation that started after Thackeray skipped a key INDIA bloc meeting held in New Delhi on Wednesday and reports in a section of the media about backchannel moves for a rapprochement with the BJP-led grouping.
Our support to PM Modi 'unconditional': Chirag Paswan
Chirag Paswan, the leader of the LJP (Ram Vilas) party, announced that his party has offered its unwavering support to PM Modi following the BJP-led NDA's triumph in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Paswan attributed the victory to PM Modi's leadership and emphasized that their support comes without any conditions attached.
Paswan said, "We extended our support to the prime minister and his leadership at yesterday's meeting. We humbly accepted his leadership without any condition."
He further emphasized, "And there can't be any condition. This is the victory of the prime minister's leadership. The NDA has got a landslide victory because of the way he took the NDA along with him."
CEC Rajiv Kumar, 2 ECs meet Prez Murmu; present details of new Lok Sabha members
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and two Election Commissioners, Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, met with President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. During the meeting, they presented the President with a copy of the notification issued by the Election Commission of India, as required by Section 73 of the Representation of People's Act, 1951. The notification contained the names of the newly elected members to the 18th Lok Sabha following the recent general elections.
President Murmu congratulated the CEC and the Election Commissioners on the successful completion of the electoral process, which is considered the largest democratic exercise in human history. She expressed her appreciation for the efforts of the Election Commission, its officials, staff members, and other public officials involved in managing and overseeing the campaign and polling process. The President also commended the police and security personnel, both at the Central and State levels, for their tireless and diligent work in upholding the sanctity of the people's ballot and ensuring a free and fair election.
Furthermore, President Murmu praised the hundreds of millions of voters who participated in the election process in such large numbers, noting that this was entirely in keeping with India's Constitution and its deep-rooted democratic traditions.
Top leaders of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, 4 other nations likely to attend Modi's oath ceremony
According to reliable sources, top leaders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, and Seychelles are expected to be present at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony in the coming weekend. Invitations have reportedly been sent to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and other leaders from the selected countries.
Among the leaders being invited are Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, and Seychellois President Wavel Ramkalawan. Modi is set to assume the role of prime minister for an unprecedented third consecutive term, with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) securing 293 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
The selection of foreign leaders for the ceremony was primarily guided by India's "Neighbourhood First Policy" and its strategic emphasis on island nations deemed significant in the Indian Ocean region. Modi is expected to take the oath of office on June 9.
NDA to contest 2025 Bihar assembly polls under leadership of Nitish: BJP state president
The Bihar BJP president, Samrat Chaudhary, announced that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would contest the upcoming 2025 assembly elections in the state under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) contested 16 seats and won 12. The party is in coalition with the BJP, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) in Bihar.
Kumar's support has become crucial for the NDA government formation at the Centre, as the BJP failed to secure a majority in the Lok Sabha on its own.
Given the current political situation in the country, Samrat Chaudhary's statement about the NDA contesting the 2025 assembly polls under Kumar's leadership holds significant importance.
"The NDA will contest the next assembly elections in Bihar under the CM's leadership... we have started preparations for it," Chaudhary, who is also the deputy chief minister, told reporters.
Cong convenes CWC meet on June 8 to discuss LS poll result
The Congress party has scheduled a meeting of its working committee on June 8 to analyze the results of the recently concluded Lok Sabha election and deliberate on the party's future strategy. The meeting, chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, will commence at 11 am at the party headquarters.
In the Lok Sabha election, the counting of votes took place on June 4. The Congress has secured the position of the second largest party, significantly improving its tally from 52 in the 2019 election to 99 seats in the current one. This achievement will enable the party to claim the Leader of Opposition's post in the Lok Sabha after a decade, a position it failed to secure in both 2014 and 2019 due to insufficient representation.
There is a growing demand within the party for former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to assume the role of the party and opposition leader in the Lok Sabha. This matter is expected to be discussed during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, which is the party's apex decision-making body. Senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with other prominent figures, will participate in the deliberations.
With its strengthened presence in Parliament, the Congress aims to hold the government accountable on issues affecting the common people, such as rising prices and unemployment, in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Stock markets extend rally to 2nd day on easing political worries
The stock markets continued their upward trend for the second consecutive day, with the benchmark Sensex surging nearly 693 points. The rally was driven by easing political concerns as the ruling NDA initiated efforts to form the new government.
The 30-share BSE Sensex reclaimed the 75,000 mark, closing at a more than week high of 75,074.51, up 692.27 points or 0.93 per cent. During intraday trading, the index soared 915.49 points or 1.23 per cent to reach 75,297.73. Similarly, the NSE Nifty gained 201.05 points or 0.89 per cent to settle at 22,821.40, with 38 of its constituents ending in the green. The index rallied 289.8 points or 1.28 per cent to touch an intraday high of 22,910.15.
The key indices, Sensex and Nifty, had experienced a sharp decline of nearly 6 per cent on Tuesday following below-expectation results in the Lok Sabha polls. The market meltdown led to investors losing a record Rs 31 lakh crore in a single day. However, the indices recovered more than 3 per cent on Wednesday as NDA allies pledged their support to the BJP in forming the new government. Over the course of two days of gains, investor wealth has recovered by approximately Rs 21 lakh crore.
Rahul alleges PM Modi, Shah 'directly involved' in stock market 'scam', seeks JPC probe
In a press conference, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made serious allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing them of direct involvement in what he termed as the "biggest stock market scam." Gandhi claimed that retail investors suffered losses amounting to Rs 30 lakh crore following the poll results and demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the matter.
According to Gandhi, Modi and Shah were aware of the BJP's actual seat count, but they artificially inflated stock prices with the help of "fake" exit polls. He alleged that when the results were announced on June 4, the markets crashed, resulting in substantial losses for retail investors. The former Congress chief called for an investigation into the alleged roles of the prime minister, home minister, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in this "scam," claiming that they had advised retail investors to purchase stocks before the results, which he deemed "unprecedented."
Gandhi further alleged that the exit polls were conducted by channels "owned by Adani" and questioned the need for the PM and home minister to provide investment advice, which people took seriously and subsequently suffered significant losses.
JD(U) wants Agnipath scheme to be reviewed: KC Tyagi
KC Tyagi, a leader of the Janata Dal (United), an ally of the BJP, stated on Thursday that his party has called for a review of the Agnipath scheme and will continue to pursue the issue of caste census, which he emphasized as a necessity in the current times. He also clarified that his party's support for the BJP was "unconditional".
Tyagi expressed, "There is anger among voters on the (short-term army recruitment) Agniveer scheme. Our party wants those shortcomings to be removed, on which people have objections."
Regarding the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Tyagi mentioned that the JD(U) is not against it, but he stressed the importance of consulting all stakeholders. He said, "On the UCC, the chief minister (Nitish Kumar) had written to the Law Commission. We are not against the UCC. But there should be consultation with all the stakeholders, chief ministers, political parties and different sects, and a resolution should be found."
(With inputs from agencies)