IANS/New Delhi

It was another day of a series of meetings in the Bharatiya Janata Party camp as prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi held talks with party leaders over the formation of his cabinet.
Aspirants of ministerial posts and newly-elected MPs also met party president Rajnath Singh and leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Modi held discussions with his close aide and BJP general secretary Amit Shah and senior party leader Arun Jaitley, after which the two leaders went to the RSS office.
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh also met Modi.
A series of meetings also took place at Rajnath Singh’s house where Sushma Swaraj, Uma Bharti, Gopinath Munde, Yogi Adityanath, Varun Gandhi and several newly-elected MPs met him.
Minister of disinvestment in the last BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government, author and columnist Arun Shourie also met Singh.
Meanwhile, former home secretary R K Singh, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Udit Raj, Manoj Tiwari and party leader Vinay Katiyar were seen at the RSS office where they met senior leaders.
Meanwhile, sources say Modi is likely to have a smaller cabinet, which he could then monitor closely.
A BJP leader close to the Gujarat chief minister said it has been clear since the campaign days that Modi’s cabinet would be smaller.
“He has always said ‘minimum government, maximum governance’, that is the clearest indicator that his cabinet will not be big,” the senior BJP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.
A thumping majority with 282 seats for BJP also means there will be no ally pressure for ministerial berths, another party leader said.
Saurabh Patel, a minister in the Gujarat government, who is known to be close to Modi, said the BJP leader’s style is of setting up systems and taking complete responsibility.
“It is always pleasant working with such a dynamic leader. He believes in taking complete responsibility,” Patel said.
“He forms a system, makes transparent policies and ensures that everything is within a framework. It is this discipline that is his speciality,” said the minister who holds a number of portfolios including energy, finance, industries, petrochemicals, minerals and civil aviation.
Modi “trusts the people he works with,” and has the capability of “getting the best out of people,” noted Patel. “He is not known to give any special favours,” he added.
Another BJP leader, who did not want to be named, said Modi would keep a close watch on key ministries.
“A smaller cabinet, and more control, is what is expected... It is Modi’s governance model. He would have his eye on all ministries,” said the party leader.
He also pointed out that former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee monitored all ministries closely.