Modi 3.0 Cabinet 2024: Why NCP-Ajit Pawar Rejected BJP's Offer Of MoS Portfolio For Parful Patel In Narendra Modi Government

2024 Modi Cabinet 3.0: The NCP-Ajit Pawar currently has one Lok Sabha MP and one Rajya Sabha MP.

Modi Cabinet 2024: Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi and members of the NDA who are part of the cabinet will take oath later this evening at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. While the National Democratic Alliance allies have discussed their ministerial berth/posts with the BJP and have reached a consensus in the last two days, the Nationalist Congress Party-Ajit Pawar is not happy with the portfolio allocation in the Modi 3.0.

Though the NCP leaders are attending the swearing-in, it's yet not clear whether they will continue with the NDA if their demands are not met. The NCP-Ajit Pawar is an ally of the BJP and the Shiv Sena-Shinde in Maharashtra. However, all three parties fared poorly in the recently concluded Maharashtra Lok Sabha polls winning just 17 seats out of the total 48. Of this, the BJP got 9, Sena 7 and the NCP one.

The BJP allocated portfolio based on the 4:1 formula, meaning one cabinet minister post for every four MPs of its allies. Now, since the NCP has just one Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha member, it was offered a Minister of State post with independent charge, which Ajit Pawar's party rejected.

NCP leader Praful Patel said the BJP leaders told his party that they would get a Minister of State with independent charge. "I was earlier a Cabinet Minister in the Union Government, so this will be a demotion for me. We have informed the BJP leadership and they have already told us to just wait for a few days, they will take remedial measures." Patel, who is currently a Rajya Sabha member, had served as Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Civil Aviation between 2004 and 2011 while as Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises between 2011 and 2014 in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA governments.

Reacting to the post, Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar said, "Praful Patel has served as a cabinet minister in the central government and we did not feel right in taking Minister of State with independent charge. So we told them (BJP) that we are ready to wait for a few days, but we wanted a cabinet ministry. We are going to attend the swearing-in ceremony today."

Ajit Pawar claimed that the number of NCP MPs will go up to four soon. "We have one Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha MP today, but in the next 2-3 months we will have a total of 3 members in the Rajya Sabha and our number of MPs in Parliament will be 4. So we said we should be given one (cabinet ministry) seat."