Nitish Kumar may stay in Delhi till Modi takes oath as PM: Sources

JDU President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will stay in Delhi until Narendra Modi takes oath as Prime Minister on June 8, sources told India Today on Thursday. The NDA leaders held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the formation of the new government after the alliance secured a comfortable majority, 293 in the 543-member House. 

The NDA alliance elected Narendra Modi as its leader and will meet President Droupadi Murumu on June 7 to stake claim to form the government at the Center.

Ahead of staking the claim, the details regarding the government's formation will be discussed among leaders of the NDA bloc, especially TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu and JD (U)'s Nitish Kumar - whose support is critical for the BJP to form a government under the leadership of Narendra Modi. 

TDP has 16 of 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh, while JDU has 12 of 40 in Bihar besides the BJP's 240. 

Nitish and Chandrababu have been pushing for multiple important portfolios as this is their best chance to extract more from the Centre for their respective states. Sources told India Today that Nitish Kumar is expecting to get a key cabinet ministry in the new government. While the TDP is eager to secure the post of Speaker in the Lok Sabha.

The BJP fell short of a majority this time as it could win only 240 Lok Sabha seats.