I am loyal 'Shiv Sainik', will always be: Diwakar Raote refutes reports of being miffed with party

Shiv Sena MLC Diwakar Raote on Thursday refuted reports of being unhappy with the party on not being made a cabinet minister in Maharashtra government, saying he is a loyal 'Shiv Sainik' and will always be so.

"I am a loyal Shiv Sainik and will always be. I obey the orders given by my leadership. I was there in oath ceremony and also during the cabinet expansion. There is no question of being unhappy with the party," Raote said.

A total of 36 leaders from Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, including Ajit Pawar and Aaditya Thackeray took oath as ministers in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government on Monday.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Eknath Khadse claimed he has been informed by the BJP core committee that he was denied the ticket in last year's Assembly elections because former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and party leader Girish Mahajan were unhappy with him.

Instead of Khadse, the BJP had given the ticket to his daughter Rohini Khadse in the assembly polls. However, she lost to the party's state unit chief Chandrakant Patil from Muktainagar.