Bhratiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Narendra Modi is set to take the oath of office for a third consecutive term as the Prime Minister of India at 7:15 pm on June 9 at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
There is a lot of interest over who will join Modi’s Cabinet and Council of Ministers. Unlike the past two terms, the BJP does not have an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha and needs to rely on coalition partners to run the government.
Despite the need to keep coalition partners happy by giving them plum portfolios, the BJP has reportedly retained control over several key ministries.
Several media reports suggest that the four critical ministries represented in the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) are in the BJP’s kitty. We explain why the CCS is so crucial and the potential reasons why the BJP has maintained its hold on these ministries.
The four crucial ministries
The four ministries that are represented in the CCS are the Ministry of Defence, Home Affairs, Finance, and External Affairs. In Modi’s previous administration, these ministries were led by Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, and S. Jaishankar, respectively.
Functions of the Cabinet Committee on Security
The CCS is entrusted with the highest responsibility for the nation’s security and strategic interests. Its functions include:
How BJP benefits by retaining control over CCS
By ensuring that all members of the CCS are from the BJP, the party can maintain tight control over critical national security decisions. This centralized control reduces the risk of internal dissent and ensures that the party’s strategies are implemented without opposition from coalition partners, a vital consideration in India’s fragmented political landscape.
In a nutshell, retaining the key ministries within the CCS not only strengthens the party’s internal coherence and decision-making capabilities but also enhances its public image and electoral prospects. As Narendra Modi gears up to embark on his third term, albeit dependent on a coalition, the focus on strong and unified leadership is starker than ever.
With inputs from agencies
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