Modi, Shah meet ahead of new cabinet's swearing-in

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah met at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, the official residence of the PM, in New Delhi on Thursday ahead of the new cabinet's swearing-in later today.

The possibility of Amit Shah entering the Cabinet in an important political portfolio like Finance or Home as a reward is considered high, given the series of successes through his orgsational abilities for the BJP in the elections in the last five years topped by the massive mandate the party got in the Lok Sabha elections.

There will be another vacancy in the important Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) if Sushma Swaraj, who held the External Affairs portfolio, does not make it to the Cabinet as she did not contest elections citing health grounds.

Modi and Shah are also believed to have held a discussion to give a final touch to the new Cabinet.

Narendra Modi, along with his council of ministers, will take oath as the 15th the Prime Minister of India at 7 pm in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Ram Nath Kovind will administer the oath of office and secrecy at the function.

President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, President of Myanmar U Win Myint, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli, and Thailand's Special Envoy Grisada Boonrach will be present in the national capital for attending Modi's swearing-in ceremony. The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbay Jeenbekov will also be present at the event.

Several overseas friends of BJP from 15 countries, including the US, Australia, Germany, and the UK, have also been invited.

( With inputs from ANI )