Shiv Sena MP Anant Geete takes the oath of office during a swearing-in ceremony for new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Just a day after the grand swearing in ceremony, the new government has run into a 'heavy industries' hurdle with its oldest ally, the Shiv Sena, unhappy with the choice of portfolio for its lone cabinet minister.
Shiv Sena leader, Anant Geete, who was sworn in as part of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's cabinet on Monday, has still not assumed office in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. Speaking to NDTV, Mr Geete said, "Uddhav Thackeray will take a call tomorrow (Wednesday) on whether he should take charge of the ministry. We want a change of portfolio."
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The Sena-BJP led alliance in Maharashtra swept the crucial state winning 42 of the 48 seats, with Shiv Sena getting 18 and BJP picking up 23 seats. And though Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray attended Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony after some tough talking on Pakistan, many in the Sena feel it has not got its due in the cabinet. In the previous NDA government, Shiv Sena had three members in the council of ministers under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. (
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On a day that Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Dr. Jitendra Singh triggered a row on Article 370, the new government could have certainly done without this unsavoury controversy which is far from over. (
After Row, Minister Jitendra Singh Clarifies Remark on Article 370)
Mr Modi has rewarded five of the BJP's 12 partners, which have found a representation in the Lok Sabha, with slots in his ministry. These include, besides the Shiv Sena, N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party, Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party, Parkash Singh Badal's Shiromani Akali Dal, and Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party.