JOIN USOn his first day in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to face a sulking Shiv Sena with its MP, Anant Geete, refusing to take charge of the “lightweight” Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises portfolio.
However Geete, who was inducted as Cabinet minister on Monday, did attend the first meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Modi on Tuesday evening.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who was in the capital for Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, has extended his stay for discussions with the BJP leadership. He held talks with BJP president Rajnath Singh and conveyed his displeasure over the entire episode, Sena sources said. Thackeray will take a final call on acceptance of the portfolio on Wednesday.
Geete was quoted by PTI as saying that the party had sought a different ministry but did not specify its choice. Sources said Sena was eyeing the power portfolio and five ministerial berths (two cabinet seats) in the NDA government but had to be content with only one ministry.
A six-term member, Geete was Union minister for power in the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. What has riled Sena leaders further is that a relative newcomer, Ashok Gajapathi Raju of the TDP, has been given the plum Civil Aviation Ministry. The TDP has 16 members in the Lok Sabha.
Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde was evasive on questions about Geete’s reported unhappiness.