It's govt of Modi & Shah only, senior leaders sidelined: NCP

The NCP Friday took a dig at the new NDA dispensation, saying it is a government of only Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, while senior leaders like Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari stand "sidelined".

NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik alleged that Modi and Shah do not want senior leaders to be part of the cabinet.

Singh, new Defence minister, had led the Home Ministry in the previous Modi government. Gadkari will continue to hold the Minister for Road Transport and Highways.

"Many senior leaders were not given Cabinet berths. Singh has been given Defence portfolio and sidelined. Same is the case with Gadkari ji," Malik told reporters.

He claimed that some of the BJP leaders would call the previous Modi-led dispensation as the government of only "two-and-half" people, implying that other ministers had no say in its functioning.

"Now, it is a government of only Modi and Shah. Others have no opportunity. They don't want seniors in the government, that's their mentality," Malik alleged.

Modi and his new team of ministers took oath on Thursday and the Rashtrapati Bhavan announced allocation of portfolios to the ministers on Friday.

Meanwhile, on the speculations that the NCP might merge into the Congress, Malik said there was no substance in the reports.

Speculations that the NCP would be merged into the Congress were rife on Thursday. These were fuelled after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi met NCP president Sharad Pawar at the latter's residence in New Delhi.

"The two leaders discussed only the Maharashtra Assembly polls and drought in the state," Malik added.