Amit Shah meets PM Narendra Modi to deliberate on new council of ministers

New Delhi: A day ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah held a lengthy meeting over the formation of the council of ministers.

Wednesday's meeting was held at PM Modi's official residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg and lasted nearly four hours. It is reported that the matter of the new council of ministers was deliberated upon at length before the swearing-in ceremony which will take place at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday. It is possible that a number of new faces are included in the council of ministers, some possibly getting key portfolios. A number of women too could be included and it is reported that the new council of ministers may possibly have about 35% fresh faces.

In the meeting, the matter of Arun Jaitley opting out of any responsibilities in the new government - due to his prevailing health conditions - may have also been discussed. It is possible that Shah takes over as the new finance minister, say sources.

Then there are the issues of how many berths NDA alliance members like Shiv Sena and JDU may get in PM Modi's new government. The matter is believed to have been discussed by Shah and PM Modi. Reports suggest that both parties could get two berths each. Sources say that Sena chief Udhav Thackeray has forwarded Arvind Sawant's name.

It is also speculated that LJP and Apna Dal could get one berth each.