Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal among 6 Maharashtra ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet; NCP rejects MoS offer

Mumbai: Six MPs from Maharashtra were inducted into the Modi 3.0 coalition government, with the BJP getting four slots and its allies Shiv Sena and RPI(A) getting one each.

Notably, the NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar declined the BJP’s offer to become Minister of State (MoS) with an independent charge, insisting on a cabinet berth for Praful Patel.

State strength reduced by 2

There were eight ministers from Maharashtra, belonging to the BJP and its allies, during the second term of the Modi government in 2019-24. That number dropped to six on Sunday.

In the new government, BJP MPs Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal have been retained as ministers.

Raksha Khadse, the only woman BJP MP from Maharashtra, and first-time MP Murlidhar Mohol were sworn in as state ministers.

Among the BJP’s allies, RPI(A) chief Ramdas Athawale was retained as MoS with independent charge, and Prataprao Jadhav of the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was also sworn in as MoS with independent load.

The Ajit Pawar-led NCP turned down the MoS’s offer, demanding a cabinet berth for Rajya Sabha member Praful Patel due to his experience.

PCN would be taken into account in future cabinet expansions: Fadnavis

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the coalition formulas must be followed, assuring that the NCP would be considered in future cabinet expansions.

“We had offered the NCP a ministerial berth with independent charge, but they wanted Praful Patel’s name to be finalized. Due to his experience, the NCP thought he could not be appointed MoS with independent charge” , Fadnavis said.

In a coalition government, a formula must be established that cannot be broken by a single party, he said.

“I can confidently say that whenever any cabinet expansion takes place, the government will consider the NCP. We tried to include the NCP for now, but they insisted on the cabinet portfolio,” said the senior BJP leader.

Ajit Pawar says he is ‘ready to wait for his Cabinet post’

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Ajit Pawar said the NCP was “prepared to wait” but wanted a place in the cabinet.

The eight ministers from Maharashtra who were part of the Modi-led government from 2019 to 2024 included Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Narayan Rane, Bhagwat Karad, Raosaheb Danve, Bharti Pawar and Kapil Patil, all of the BJP, and Ramdas Athawale of the RPI. (A).

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP fared poorly in Maharashtra, as it could win only nine seats, compared to 23 out of the state’s 48 constituencies in 2019. The Shinde-led Shiv Sena won seven seats and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP just one.

Gadkari, Goyal, Khadse and Mohol won from Nagpur, Mumbai North, Raver and Pune Lok Sabha constituencies respectively in the recent elections.

Notably, the BJP did not reinstate Narayan Rane in the Union cabinet although he won the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha seat.

Three other BJP ministers – Raosaheb Danve, Bharati Pawar and Kapil Patil – from the previous government lost the elections this time.

Published on: Monday, June 10, 2024, 10:31 AM IST