Shiv Sena’s lone representative in the Union government, Anant Geete, is expected to put in his papers once Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns to India after his visit to the United States.
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray indicated the resignation of Geete as Union Minister for Heavy Industries.
“After the Prime Minister returns from the US, Geete will submit his resignation,” Thackeray said when asked about Shiv Sena’s continuance in the NDA.
The Shiv Sena chief’s remark come a day after his arch-rival and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Raj Thackeray took pot shots at Geete over his continuance in the Union Cabinet despite having a messy divorce with the BJP in Maharashtra.
“The Shiv Sena which boasts about self-respect, wants to retain its sources of income,” Raj Thackeray had said at a campaign rally on Sunday.
In Delhi, BJP General Secrertary Rajiv Pratap Rudy made it clear that the BJP has made no demand for Geete’s removal from the Union Cabinet.
“If Uddhav Thackeray wants Anant Geete to resign then it’s their decision which seems natural to me, BJP made no such demand,” Rudy said. Last week, the BJP snapped its three-decade old alliance with the Shiv Sena for the Maharashtra Assembly elections following differences over seat sharing.
Geete himself claimed that he was unaware of any such directive from the party president. He contended that Shiv Sena had contested the Lok Sabha election in alliance with the BJP and the mandate was for the NDA. “Why should I resign,” he asked.
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