Mumbai/Delhi: BJP’s Nitin Gadkari is the only member from Maharashtra in the reconstituted NITI Aayog, while it has ignored the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Political observers said the non-inclusion of Sena MPs in NITI Aayog was a snub of sorts for chief minister Shinde, especially ahead of the state assembly polls slated for Oct. “This will be seen as a political setback for Shinde.
Shiv Sena, which has seven MPs in Lok Sabha, is the third-largest ally in the NDA, after JD (U) and TDP. Parties like JD (S), which have only two members, have been given representation, as has Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, which has five MPs,” said an observer. So, these NITI Aayog appointments will be seen as a snub for the Sena more than for Ajit Pawar’s NCP.”
Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora said there are rules that determine which ministers become members of NITI Ayog. “As far as I understand, the rules state that only cabinet ministers and those with economic portfolios involving policy and programme implementation are invitees. Although Ayush may not fall into that category, Shiv Sena’s MP Prataprao Jadhav is a special invitee to the Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth,” Deora said.

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