We're together, not upset: Nitish Kumar on JDU opting out of Modi Cabinet 2.0

Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar on Friday said that his party didn’t ask for any seat after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally opted out of the newly formed government, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reportedly offering it a lone seat. Speaking to reporters, Nitish said, "I spoke to my party leaders and people and they were not agreeing to one berth and the symbolic representation. However, We're together, not upset."

Kumar attended the swearing in ceremony of Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi with his council of ministers on May 30 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. After leaving the venue Nitish said "the offer we got was not acceptable." 

“They (BJP) wanted only 1 person from JDU in the cabinet, so it would have been just a symbolic participation. We informed them that it is ok we don't need it. It is not a big issue; we are fully in NDA and not upset at all. We are working together, no confusion,” he said.

The JD(U), which governs Bihar in alliance with the BJP won 16 of the 40 seats in the state.

In latest developments on Friday, BJP president Amit Shah has been appointed as the new Union Home Minister, replacing Rajnath Singh, who will now handle the Ministry of Defence. Former foreign secretary S Jaishankar, who surprised many by his induction in the new Cabinet, has been made the new External Affairs Minister.

Nirmala Sitharaman, who was the Defence Minister in the incumbent government, has been given the charge of Finance Ministry after Arun Jaitley, who is batteling kidney-related ailments, choose not to be part of the government.