General elections 2014: Meet Narendra Modi's team if BJP comes to power

NEW DELHI: While Narendra Modi goes around the country enthusing supporters and trying to win over the undecided, BJP and RSS bigwigs are said to be drawing the contours of what a possible government led by the party could look like. These leaders, seemingly sure of a BJP victory, have constituted a possible Modi cabinet as they try and get a sense of who’s in and who could be out.
Whether a Modi government will actually come to pass will be known only on May 16, when votes are counted. ET is merely reflecting the views of those engaged in the exercise.

Central to the discussion is party elder LK Advani, who will not allow the new leadership to sideline him.

It’s more or less confirmed, the leaders insist, that he will become chairman of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, irrespective of the election result. Sources in the party claim that this is one assurance that Advani sought for agreeing to choose Gandhinagar as his parliamentary seat.

The imagined cabinet, according to a number of senior BJP and RSS leaders, looks somewhat like this: finance for Arun Jaitley, defence for Rajnath Singh, home for Manohar Parrikar, external affairs for Sushma Swaraj, human resources or urban development for Nitin Gadkari and agriculture for Sushil Modi. Investors will watching out keenly for who gets to become finance minister. Jaitley, for instance, has indicated that he may be open to 49% foreign direct investment in insurance, something that was promised by the UPA but couldn’t be implemented.

A Modi government, if it happens, is also likely to see Arun Shourie, probably as commerce minister. Apart from Goa chief minister Parrikar, Modi may bring other BJP leaders from the states to the Centre. Rajya Sabha members Smriti Irani, Purushottam Rupala and Piyush Goyal may also get cabinet berths. Leaders who were ministers in the previous NDA government such as Shahnawaz Hussain are also likely to be in the new one.

Modi’s close aide Amit Shah is likely to hold an important position in the government and is tipped to be a minister without portfolio in the PMO, working in close proximity with Modi. “However, if BJP manages a very good show in Uttar Pradesh, where Shah is the incharge, then he may be elevated to the post of BJP president as well. This way Modi will be in control of both the government and the party,” the leader added.

Modi is clear about one thing: good governance, said a senior BJP leader on condition of anonymity. At the time of government formation, it won’t be about pandering to egos but getting the best man for the job, the person said. “His focus would be on delivering on his promises as he doesn’t like to be on the losing side of a challenge.”

Bureaucrats who served the Sangh and the party well may also get generously rewarded in a Modi government and be made ministers of state.

This may include home for RK Singh, external affairs for former IFS officer Hardeep Puri and defence for former general VK Singh. Second-rung leaders such as Varun Gandhi, Dharmendra Pradhan and JP Nadda will also look to be accommodated.