Shrikant Shinde: ‘Unconditional support for Modi govt… no bargaining or negotiation for power going on’

Key BJP ally’s statement comes after party MP Shrirang Barne expresses unhappiness about the distribution of ministerial berths

Shiv Sena's Lok Sabha leader and Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde, the son of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. X/@DrSEShinde

Amid some discordant notes among BJP allies over allocations in the Union Council of Ministers, the Shiv Sena on Monday said 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, that he has been working on for the last 10 years,” Shiv Sena’s Lok Sabha leader and Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde, the son of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, told The Indian Express.

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Shrikant went on to emphasise, “This nation has asked for, and needs, the leadership of Prime Minister Modi ji. There is no bargaining or negotiation for power. We have extended unconditional support to an ideological coalition … The party, all MLAs, and MPs are faithfully committed to the NDA.”

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Shrikant’s remark came after party MP Shrirang Barne made a statement expressing unhappiness about the distribution of ministerial berths. Barne was quoted as saying that his party was offered only one Minister of State (MoS) position despite having seven MPs whereas the Janata Dal (Secular) that has two MPs got a Cabinet berth and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM (Secular) also got one Cabinet post despite having a single MP — Manjhi himself — in the Lower House. Barne’s protest came a day after Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) refused to join the government as it was offered an MoS position. NCP leader Praful Patel said accepting it would be akin to a demotion for him as he had been a Cabinet minister earlier.

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JD(S) leader and former Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi took oath on Sunday as Cabinet ministers in the Modi government. The BJP failed to get an absolute majority on its own but formed the government for the third straight term as the NDA alliance won 293 seats in total.

Liz Mathew

Have been in journalism covering national politics for 23 years. Have covered six consecutive Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls in almost all the states. Currently writes on ruling BJP. Always loves to understand what's cooking in the national politics (And ventures into the act only in kitchen at home). ... Read More

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