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Modi may take oath on May 30

New Delhi: The 17th Lok Sabha has finally taken shape as Narendra Modi-led NDA sealed a phenomenal electoral victory with 354 seats. After the counting of votes for 542 Lok Sabha seats, BJP finished with 303 seats in its kitty.

For the first time after his Everest of a victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his cabinet Friday evening to discuss the shape and size of his new government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may be sworn-in for the second term on May 30 and some world leaders could be invited for it, making it an event bigger than 2014 when heads of governments of SAARC countries were invited, sources said here on Friday.

Before his swearing-in, Modi is likely to visit Varanasi to thank people of the parliamentary constituency from where he has been elected for the second time with a huge margin of 4,75,754 votes.

Modi polled a total of 6,69,602 votes while his nearest rival, Shalini Yadav of the Samajwadi Party (SP), got 1,93,848. Ajay Rai of the Congress got 1,51,800 votes.

He is also likely to visit Gandhinagar to take blessings of his mother Heera Ben.

In 2014, Modi had invited the heads of governments of all the eight South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries for his swearing-in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Sources in the BJP said the newly-elected MPs have been asked to reach Delhi by May 25 evening. A meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Party to formally elect Modi as its leader is likely to take place on May 25 or 26.

The sources said the party will stake claim to form the government same day and oath taking ceremony is likely to take place after that.

Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are believed to be keen on in newer faces in the council of ministers. West Bengal, where the BJP has made massive inroads, jumping from two to 18 seats, could get big representation.

The PM and Shah have so far not indicated a decision on the "Big 4" — Home, Finance, External Affairs and Defence.

A day after the party-led NDA returned to power at the Centre with a massive mandate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah called on party veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi to seek their blessings

Smriti Irani, who was Textiles Minister, is expected to get a plum portfolio for emerging as BJP's shining star the election season by defeating Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.

After Friday's cabinet meeting, the PM handed over the resignation of the council of ministers to the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind.

"The president has accepted the resignation and requested Modi and the council of ministers to continue till the new government assumes office," the communique said.

The Union Cabinet recommended the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha as the Union Council of Ministers tendered their collective resignation, government sources said.

Senior BJP leader Santosh Gangwar will be the pro tem speaker and he will be sworn along with the new members of Lok Sabha.

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