Shiv Sena demands one more Union Cabinet berth

MUMBAI: Whether the Shiv Sena would be part of the BJP government in Maharashtra may be decided on Sunday when Narendra Modi expands his Union Cabinet.

The Sena has demanded that it be given one more Cabinet berth for its nominee. A Sena leader said that if BJP would not agree to its demand, then there was no point in joining the BJP government in Maharashtra.

The Sena demand comes after BJP rejected its claim for a deputy chief minister in Maharashtra.

With Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis ruling out the possibility of Sena ministers being accommodated before the vote of confidence, the Sena now wants BJP to show its ‘commitment to the alliance’ by inducting at least one more Sena minister in the Modi Cabinet.

“When Uddhav decided to come for the swearing in on the call of BJP leaders, the understanding was that our MLAs would be sworn in before Fadnavis wins the vote of confidence. However, BJP has ruled it out. So effectively it wants us to support it in the vote of confidence without even telling us what portfolios we would be given. If BJP is serious in our support in Maharashtra, we need a Cabinet berth at the Centre,” said a Sena leader.

According to a Sena source, the party has decided that it won’t wait after Sunday. If the party is not given a good Union Cabinet berth, then it might announce the name of the Opposition Leader in Maharashtra. Uddhav held a meeting of top Sena leaders on Thursday, where it was decided that the party would wait till the Union Cabinet expansion on Sunday.

The overwhelming feeling in the Sena was that BJP was bent on humiliating it and Sena should sit in the opposition. “It is unfortunate that our leadership is taking such humiliation lying down. We should sit in the opposition,” said a Sena leader. Among the perceived humiliation is the reported news of former Sena MP Suresh Prabhu being given a ministerial berth at the Centre. Prabhu, a former Power Minister during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure, had fallen out with the Sena leadership and was asked to quit the Vajpayee government.

The Sena, however , is aware that under changed circumstances it is helpless to prevent Prabhu’s entry into the government.