Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will undertake a rare visit to the capital today to meet Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi and BJP president Rajnath Singh. (File photo)
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is undertaking a rare visit to the capital today to meet Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi and BJP president Rajnath Singh. He will also take part in the meeting of NDA partners later in the day.
Sources close to the Shiv Sena president told NDTV that Mr Thackeray, in his interaction with the BJP leaders, is expected to discuss the government-formation exercise, and the likely share of his party in the new council of ministers. He is aware that Mr Modi wants to keep his ministry small, in keeping with his motto of "less government, more governance.'' But Mr Thackeray, the sources pointed out, still wanted to wangle a good deal for his party.
In the Lok Sabha elections for which results were declared on May 16, the Shiv Sena, in alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra, won 18 seats of the 48 seats. NDA, in fact, put up a stunning performance, bagging 42 seats in a state which sends the second largest contingent of MPs to the Lok Sabha.
The Shiv Sena is also expected to press for accommodating its men in the next reshuffle of governors.
There are indications that Mr Modi may want to include senior Shiv Sena leader and former union minister Suresh Prabhu, though his exact role is yet to be finalized. Mr Prabhu, who was the power minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, is known for his integrity and efficiency, but had to bow out of the Cabinet following differences with the late Bal Thackeray. He has since then made up with the Shiv Sena leadership. After his resignation from the Union Cabinet, Mr Prabhu was named as the head of the river inter-linking project.