Shiv Sena, NCP Express Disappointment Over Ministerial Allocation in NDA Government
The Shiv Sena, a key ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has voiced its displeasure over being offered a Minister of State with Independent Charge in the new government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The party had anticipated a Cabinet-level position.
We were expecting a Cabinet berth, stated Party Chief Whip Shrirang Barne, highlighting the allotment of Cabinet ministries to other NDA allies with fewer Lok Sabha seats. Despite having seven Lok Sabha seats, why did Shiv Sena only receive one MoS with independent charge? Barne questioned, citing the allocation of Cabinet ministries to Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party with five MPs and Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and the Janata Dal (Secular) with one and two MPs, respectively.
The Shiv Sena has been a longstanding ally of the BJP, and Barne emphasized that the party deserved a Cabinet ministry on that basis alone.
Meanwhile, the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), another NDA ally from Maharashtra, has also demanded a Cabinet Minister position. Expressing their discontent prior to the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel rejected the offer of Minister of State, terming it a demotion.
Praful Patel, having served as a cabinet minister in the central government, expressed that they didn't feel it was appropriate to accept the position of Minister of State with independent charge, Ajit Pawar said. So we told them [BJP] that we are ready to wait for a few days, but we want a cabinet ministry. We are going to attend the swearing-in ceremony today, but our demand for a Cabinet ministry remains.
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Shiv Sena won seven of the 15 seats it contested in Maharashtra, while Ajit Pawar's NCP bagged one of the four seats out of a total of 48 seats. The BJP won nine seats.
