NCP Rejects MoS Berth For Praful Patel, Seeks Cabinet Position

In the latest developments surrounding the formation of the Modi 3.0 cabinet, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel revealed on Sunday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership had offered his party a Minister of State (MoS) position with independent charge. However, the NCP decided to decline the offer, citing it as a demotion for Patel, who had previously served as a cabinet minister in the union government.

NCP Chief Ajit Pawar elaborated on the decision, stating, "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 were ready to wait for a few days, but we wanted a cabinet ministry. We are going to attend the swearing-in ceremony today..."

Pawar emphasised that the NCP is seeking a cabinet ministry position due to its expected increase in parliamentary strength. "We have one Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha MP today, but in the next 2-3 months we will have a total of three members in the Rajya Sabha and our number of MPs in Parliament will be four. So we said we should be given one cabinet ministry seat," Pawar stated.

Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis commented on the situation, saying, "The Nationalist Congress Party was offered one seat from the government—MoS Independent Charge. But their request was from their side... Praful Patel's name was finalised, and he was already a minister. Therefore, he would not be able to hold the post of MoS Independent Charge."

The NCP's decision to wait for a cabinet position highlights the party's strategic calculations as it seeks to bolster its influence within the central government.