Will ministries be rejigged? Leaner Narendra Modi Cabinet expected

From discussions heard in recent days in New Delhi's power corridors, it seems Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi's Cabinet will be leaner and more compact than that of his predecessors. The outgoing United Progressive Alliance government had 77ministers; there is every chance that Modi might reduce the number by a third. BJP and RSS sources claim their leaders are also keen to restructure the nature of several ministries, merge some and separate others to ensure smoother transaction of business. Or else the same person may take charge of more than one ministry, where the business of the ministries concerned, are interconnected.

"In the last 30 years, perhaps due to the compulsions of coalition politics, some ministries were split into two or more to  accommodate more people. But leading a majority government, Modi can have the advantage of a leaner cabinet," says a top RSS leader.       
 
On Tuesday, the parliamentary board of the BJP and a joint sitting of NDA MPs elected Narendra Modi as their leader. Later in the day, the NDA leaders met President Pranab Mukherjee to stake their claim to form a new government. The BJP also announced that on May 26, Modi  would take the oath of office along with 30 odd ministers.