North Indian leaders upset that 3 community biggies Kripashankar Singh, Rajhans Singh and Ramesh Singh weren't made ministers
North Indian leaders upset that 3 community biggies Kripashankar Singh, Rajhans Singh and Ramesh Singh weren't made ministers
After the victory of three north Indians Congress's Kripashankar Singh, Rajhans Singh and Ramesh Singh in the Assembly polls, party workers and other north Indian leaders were ecstatic.
But now that none of them has got a ministerial berth, they're livid.
North Indian leaders have now threatened not to vote for the Congress-NCP combine in 2012's BMC elections if any of the three Singhs is not made a minister.
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"The Congress doesn't want to lose the heavy north Indian vote bank in Mumbai, which amounts to 24 per cent of the total population.
'Cheated'
Five ministerial berths belonging to the Congress still have to be filled, even after 38 ministers were sworn in to the Cabinet.
The north Indian community has a strong presence in nearly 17 Assembly seats in Mumbai. "We feel cheated.
The people in power need to understand that the community has to be represented in the Cabinet.
Our voice needs to be heard, but if leaders fail to do so, we have the power and will show them what the north Indian community can do," said another leader.
What went wrong?
Talks of Kripashankar being given a ministerial berth were rife for the last few days.
But after his name cropped up in the alleged frauds committed by former Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda, the party was unsure of what course to take.
However, a Congress leader said Kripashankar may be inducted into the Cabinet later on.
Till Saturday afternoon, Rajhans Singh's name too was doing the rounds. But his name was called off by evening.
"North Indians are a huge vote bank and leaders should not forget them," said Uday Pratap Singh, a north Indian and NCP spokesperson.
While Kripashankar and Ramesh were unavailable for comment, Rajhans said, "Some berths are still vacant and there are chances that some north Indian leader would be accommodated."
Exception
Chandivli MLA Naseem Khan was the only north Indian leader to be inducted into the Cabinet on Saturday. But community leaders feel Khan's a minister because he is a Muslim.
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