International media reports that the appointment of ministers has become a major crisis in the formation of the new Indian government.
The main reason is that the BJP failed to win the number of MPs that Narendra Modi won in 2014 when he first became Prime Minister and has to rely on minority parties. Narendra Modi managed to get 282 seats for his party in 2014 and 303 in 2019, but this time, the number of seats has dropped to 240.
In the current political landscape, forming a minority government is not without its challenges. The Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party, a member of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, has secured 16 seats and is demanding a significant share of power, including at least 7 cabinet ministerial posts and the post of Speaker.
With the Janata Dal party, led by Nishit Kumar, also demanding a share of power with their 12 secured seats, the government formation is still a puzzle. The previous government had 29 cabinet minister positions, and it remains to be seen what the other parties will bring to the table in this complex negotiation.
