In Squabble Over Minister Berths, Ajit Pawar, Eknath Shinde's Waiting Game
Running a coalition government is no easy feat, as evidenced by Monday morning's discord between the BJP and its Maharashtra allies. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's NCP group found themselves at odds, shedding light on the challenges within the alliance. BJP Surpasses 272 Seats A remarkable 71 MPs, primarily from the BJP and a few allied parties, were sworn in following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unprecedented third oath-taking ceremony. However, Maharashtra's representation was modest, with only five MPs, a stark contrast to the BJP-led NDA's lackluster performance in the state, securing just 17 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats. Within this small contingent, four MPs hail from the BJP, while the fifth, Prataprao Jadhav from the Shinde Sena, assumed a junior ministerial position. Notably, a similar offer extended to Praful Patel of the NCP was declined, citing it as a "demotion." The NCP insists that...