Amid the reports of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah to be given finance ministry in the new Narendra Modi government, party's Gujarat chief Jitu Vaghani has confirmed that Shah will be indeed a part of the cabinet. The confirmation came at a time when some reports claimed that Shah might continue as the party president with some crucial state assembly elections lined up in the near future. Vaghani tweeted a few pictures with Amit Shah and said that he met the BJP chief and congratulated him for becoming a part of PM Narendra Modi's Cabinet.

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On Wednesday, sources had confirmed Zee Business TV that Shah will become the new finance minister, a post left vacant after Arun Jaitley's withdrawal. Earlier in the day, Shah went to the official residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi hours ahead of the formation of the new government and swearing-in ceremony. This was the third round of meeting between the top two leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the last three days to give final shape to the list of MPs who will take the oath of office and secrecy along with Modi.

Ahead of swearing in, Shah also met senior BJP leaders who are likely to be re-inducted in the Narendra Modi government. These leaders included Rajnath Singh, Piyush Goyal, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Prakash Javadekar, Smriti Irani, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Nripendra Misra and Additional Principal Secretary PK Mishra also visited Shah`s residence. 

Meanwhile, Modi visited Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at his residence, hours after he opted out of the Union Cabinet citing health conditions. In his letter, Jaitley had said: "During the last 18 months, I have had some serious health challenges. My doctors have enabled me to emerge out of most of them." 

"I am writing to you formally to request you that I should be allowed a reasonable time to myself, my treatment and my health and therefore not be a part of any responsibility, for the present in the new government," he said. Modi had submitted the resignation of his council of ministers last week after the results of Lok Sabha elections. President Ram Nath Kovind had accepted the resignations and asked the Prime Minister to continue till the new government assumes office.