Not upset with party, says Pankaja Munde over sister’s non-inclusion in PM Modi's cabinet

Briefing media-persons, Munde said, 'Pritam Munde and I never demanded anything (ministerial berth). I have no differences with those who have taken the oath as they are also followers of Gopinath Munde.'

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pankaja Munde on Friday rubbished reports of being upset with the party over her sister Pritam Munde Khade not getting a ministerial berth in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's revamped Cabinet.

Briefing media-persons, Munde said, "Pritam Munde and I never demanded anything (ministerial berth). I have no differences with those who have taken the oath as they are also followers of Gopinath Munde. It was the decision of the party. And, I am not angry or upset with the party. But the supporters are definitely angry about this. I will talk to them and try to convince them. My best wishes to those who became ministers. I will be happier if they strengthen the party."

Pankaja and Pritam are daughters of late union minister and former deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Gopinath Munde. Remembering father Gopinath Munde, she said, "This is Gopinath Munde's party. He had always fought for people and I will also continue to do so. This is my family. How can I be upset with my family?"

The comments of Pankaja Munde come at a time when there were reports that she has been upset with the party for not giving a ministerial berth to sister Pritam Munde. On the Maratha reservation issue, Munde raised doubts that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government does not want reservation.

"Uddhav Thackeray government is not serious about the issue of reservation. If the government was serious on this issue, then OBC and Maratha society would not protest by taking to the road. I believe that there are some parties in the government that do not want to get the reservation. That is why such kind of a situation has arisen," Munde alleged.

As many as 43 leaders took oath on Wednesday in the first Union Cabinet reshuffle and expansion after Prime Minister Modi returned to power for a second term in May 2019. The swearing-in ceremony, which took place at Rashtrapati Bhavan amid Covid-19 protocols, came days ahead of the monsoon session of parliament.

Some of the key figures inducted into the Union cabinet include Jyotiraditya Scindia, Bhupender Yadav, Sarbananda Sonowal and Pashupati Kumar Paras. Seven women MPs took oath as union ministers in the expanded council of ministers. They include Anupriya Patel, Shobha Karandlaje, Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Meenakshi Lekhi, Annapurna Devi, Pratima Bhoumik and Bharati Pravin Pawar.

Meanwhile, seven Ministers of State (MoS) have been promoted as Union Cabinet Ministers: former MoS G Kishan Reddy, Kiren Rijiju, Anurag Singh Thakur, Hardeep Singh Puri, Raj Kumar Singh, Parshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya took oath on July 7.

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