New Delhi: Several reports have speculated on what the Bharatiya Janata Party’s allies in the National Democratic Alliance may have demanded as Narendra Modi sets out to form a coalition government with them.In a report, Financial Express has said that the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is likely to have asked for special category status for Andhra Pradesh, cabinet berths including for his son Nara Lokesh in the new government, and funds for the capital city project of Amaravati.The special category is a contentious issue over which Naidu had quit the NDA in 2018 and could pave the way for a host of grants, incentives and waivers for the state. An Indian Express report has noted how the mechanism was put in place to ensure that resource-scarce states can be assisted to develop. Andhra Pradesh, however, was out of the list of states accorded special status through the years.When the undivided state was bifurcated to create Telangana in 2014, the UPA government had promised to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh. Since Narendra Modi took over, state governments under Naidu and YS Jaganmohan Reddy had made several deputations with the same demand.Another report said that the TDP wants the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post and up to five berths in the Cabinet.The Janata Dal (United) led by Nitish Kumar, meanwhile, has reportedly asked for a number of cabinet portfolios, including Railway.The New Indian Express has speculated that the Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde will ask for a Union cabinet berth and two junior ministers’ posts. The Lok Janshakti Party, too, is likely to ask for the same.Hindustani Awam Morcha may seek a ministry or Cabinet rank berth for its founder Jitan Ram Manjhi.“The ministerial berth demands of the allies will be considered barring six ministries,” a source told TNIE. Those ministries are railway, home, finance, defence, law and IT.Read all of The Wire’s reporting on and analysis of the 2024 election results here.