Ajit Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) might not secure a ministerial position, developments ahead of the oath-taking ceremony indicated on Sunday. A meeting regarding this issue was held at the residence of Sunil Tatkare, which was also attended by Devendra Fadnavis. There are rumors that Fadnavis tried to resolve the concerns of NCP leaders. However, no official information has been released yet. Reports suggest that including the NCP, which has only one elected MP, in the cabinet is proving to be difficult.
No one from NCP has received call
The Ajit Pawar group of the NCP has not been given an opportunity in the NDA government. Despite persistent efforts by NCP leaders, they have faced disappointment. Six individuals from Maharashtra have received calls for ministerial positions, but as of 2 PM, no such call has been received by the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP. Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel were the main candidates from the NCP, with significant discussions around Praful Patel's name. Although Patel's name was confirmed by NCP leaders in a meeting held in Delhi, several Maharashtra leaders received calls, but none from the NCP.
Major Challenge for the Mahayuti
The Mahayuti faces a significant challenge as both Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel are strong contenders from the NCP. The alliance struggles to assign even the position of Minister of State to these senior leaders. On one hand, despite having seven MPs, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena has only received one Minister of State position. On the other hand, it is difficult to justify a cabinet position for the NCP, which has only one MP.
Complications due to lesser seats
The NCP's participation in the cabinet remains unresolved due to the difficulties in appointing senior leaders to ministerial positions. There is a risk of dissatisfaction among other coalition partners if the NCP is given a cabinet position, especially since there are seven parties with only one elected MP each across the country.