Sena MP strikes discordant note over cabinet berth, party says support to NDA ‘unconditional’

The Shiv Sena that contested on 15 seats won seven, while the NCP, which contested on five seats won only one. Barne, who retained the Maval seat for the third time by defeating Sanjog Waghere Patil of Shiv Sena (UBT), pointed out that despite Shiv Sena winning seven seats in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the party was only allotted a Minister of State (MoS) position in the Modi 3.0 government.

Barne said that even leaders such as HD Kumaraswamy and Jitan Ram Manjhi whose parties won two and one seats, respectively, got cabinet berths.

“Chirag Paswan, whose party won five seats, was also given a cabinet berth. But the Shiv Sena got only one MoS berth. I personally feel that there is partiality against the Shiv Sena. Considering that we will face assembly elections together in the next three months, it is expected that the Sena would get fair treatment,” he said.

Refusing to accept MoS post in the government, the NCP had also said it expected a cabinet minister’s post.
The Shiv Sena, however, clarified that its support for the Narendra Modi-led government was unconditional and there was no bargaining happening for any Cabinet post or portfolio.

“We have already made it clear that we are supporting the government unconditionally. There is no bargaining here. We are an ideological coalition and we want Prime Minister Modi to carry forward the mission for nation-building, which he has been working on for the past 10 years,” Shiv Sena’s Lok Sabha leader and Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, told The Indian Express.

Emphasising the commitment, Shrikant Shinde added, “This nation has asked for, and needs the leadership of Prime Minister Modi ji… The party, all MLAs, and MPs are faithfully committed to the NDA.”