'Expected Cabinet role': Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena upset over Minister of State berth in Modi 3.0  

Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena has expressed its displeasure over the MoS post it has been given in the Modi Cabinet, India Today reported on Monday. The BJP ally, which has won 7 Lok Sabha seats from Maharashtra, said it expects a Cabinet post. On Sunday, Shiv Sena's Pratap Jadhav was sworn in as Minister of State (Independent Charge). 

"We were expecting a cabinet berth. Chirag Paswan got five MPs, [Jitan Ram] Manjhi got one, and JDS got two MPs elected, yet they received one cabinet ministry each. Despite having seven Lok Sabha seats, why did Shiv Sena only receive one MoS with an Independent Charge? Shiv Sena is an old ally of BJP. At least because of that, Shiv Sena should have received a cabinet ministry," Sena's Chief Whip Shrirang Barne said.

Barne's remarks come a day after Ajit Pawar's NCP, which has 1 Lok Sabha seat, demanded a Cabinet post and expressed its disagreement over the Minister of State position. The Ajit Pawar camp of the NCP, also an NDA ally from Maharashtra, also demanded a Cabinet Minister. Just before the swearing-in on Sunday, the NCP rejected the Minister of State offer, with party chief Ajit Pawar and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel referring to it as a "demotion".

Earlier today, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam downplayed the MoS post and said that the undivided Sena had got only ministry despite having 18 MPs. "In 2019, when the Shiv Sena had not split and Uddhav Thackeray was Shiv Sena president, 18 MPs of the party were elected. So, did the BJP make 18 ministers from the Shiv Sena? At that time too, there was just one minister. How does it matter if it is a Cabinet Minister or a Minister with an independent charge? MoS independent charge has all the authority, all responsibility of the ministry. He is the Head of the Ministry. The difference is just the nomenclature. So, I think Eknath Shinde did better bargaining and got better results."

(With inputs from Sahil Joshi)