Narendra Modi faces ‘tremor’ as Shiv Sena MP refuses to take charge

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday felt the first small tremor in the NDA with ally Shiv Sena’s Anant Geete refusing to take charge of the portfolio alloted to him the heavy industry and public enterprises.

Mr Geete’s refusal came even as most of the ministers took charge of their respective portfolios. The Shiv Sena MP who did attend the first Cabinet meeting of the Modi government, said Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will decide on Wednesday whether or not the Shiv Sena would accept the heavy industries portfolio.

Interestingly, the same portfolio was allotted to the Shiv Sena in the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA government in 1999. The portfolio was given to Sena leader Manohar Joshi, who was reluctant to take charge of it. He was later appointed LS Speaker.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who had attended Mr Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, met BJP president Rajnath Singh and conveyed his unhappiness. Mr Geete also met Mr Singh earlier on Tuesday.

“Uddhavji will take a decision tomorrow,” replied Mr Geete to queries in this regard.

The Shiv Sena is the BJP’s oldest ally and it has secured 18 seats in the Lok Sabha, making it the second largest party in the NDA.

Asked whether Mr Geete is unhappy over the portfolio, the newly appointed rural development minister and senior BJP leader from Maharashtra Gopinath Munde steered clear of the query. “No one in BJP is unhappy,” he said. When pressed further, Mr Munde, who was speaking on his first day in office, said this was not the place to discuss politics.

The strain between the two parties assumes significance as state Assembly elections are due by October this year. The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance was in power in Maharashtra from 1995 to 1999.