Key NDA meet today, Narendra Modi likely to stake claim to form govt around 8 pm

Narendra Modi is likely to stake claim to form government at around 8 pm today. The probable meeting will take place after leaders of the National Democratic Alliance meet President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi today. There are unconfirmed reports that the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place on May 30. Modi has already announced his plans for next two days. On Sunday, he will visit his mother at her Gandhinagar home. Day after on Monday, he will visit Varanasi for a ‘thanksgiving trip.’ There are reports that a mega victory procession has been planned by the BJP in Kashi, where Modi won the Lok Sabha Elections with margin of over 4.5 lakh votes.

Meanwhile, the full Election Commission on Saturday called on President Ram Nath Kovind and handed over the list of 542 newly-elected members of the Lok Sabha that will enable him to initiate the formal process of new government formation. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and the other two Commissioners, Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra, met the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and gave him a copy of the notification issued by the poll body in terms of provisions of the Representation of the People Act containing the names of MPs elected in the just-concluded polls. While the notification sets in motion the constitution of the 17th Lok Sabha, the list given to the President enables him to initiate government formation process. On Saturday evening, newly-elected MPs of the National Democratic Alliance are likely elect Narendra Modi as its leader.

The BJP won stunning 303 seats and secured majority on its own in the Lok Sabha Elections that were held in 542 of the 543 seats. The election in Vellore Lok Sabha seat was cancelled by the EC citing abuse of money power. A fresh date is yet to be announced.