NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule on Monday said she was not surprised that Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) did not get a place in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new cabinet, reported the PTI news agency.
Speaking to reporters on the 25th founding day of the NCP, founded by her father, the Baramati MP said that as the NDA holds its first cabinet meeting, it should give a complete loan waiver to farmers.
“During the UPA regime, the NCP worked as an ally in the Manmohan Singh government. Manmohan ji showed trust and love towards Pawar saheb, and got two and a half cabinet positions, although the party had only eight or nine MPs in that time,” he said, PTI reported.
The Congress did not think about numbers and respected the party as its ally, he said.
“In the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government too, everyone treated each other with respect. We did not stick to any formula. Our relationship was based on mutual respect and merit,” Sule said, reported PTI.
The MP said she was not surprised that the NCP did not get a cabinet berth in the Modi 3.0 government.
“I have closely observed how they (BJP) treated their allies in the last 10 years. Their approach is not ‘one size fits all’ (equal treatment),” he said, PTI reported.
On Sunday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the NCP wanted a cabinet berth in the Modi 3.0 government and had rejected the BJP’s offer of minister of state (MoS) on an independent charge.
Ajit Pawar has claimed that the NCP was “willing to wait” but wanted a cabinet berth.
The NCP, part of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra along with the BJP and the Shiv Sena, fared poorly in the Lok Sabha polls, winning only one seat (Raigad) out of the four it contested.
He also lost the prestige battle in Baramati, where Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar was defeated by MP Sule.
When asked about the first NDA cabinet meeting, Sule said the government should give complete loan waiver to farmers, PTI reported.
“I hope they give this country a stable government. I expect a decision on loan waiver and prices of essential commodities like onion and milk as farmers are under tremendous pressure,” he said, PTI reported.
(With input from PTI)