After BJP goes alone in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena MP Anant Geete to quit Modi Cabinet

Mumbai: After Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party parted ways in Maharashtra, Sena MP Anant Geete to resign from the Narendra Modi’s Cabinet after the Prime Minister returns from his maiden US trip.

Geete was the only Shiv Sena MP in the BJP-led NDA Cabinet. He was the Union Minister of Heavy Industries.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray made the announcement a day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said that Sena was hanging on to power despite the alliance being called off.

Uddhav Thackeray said, “Geete will no longer remain in the Cabinet.”

Geete had earlier claimed that he won’t resign as the Sena-BJP alliance remains intact at the Centre.

The 25-year-old alliance broke as the parties failed to reach a consensus on the seat sharing formula in poll-bound Maharashtra. Both the parties refused to bow down on the number of seats they wanted to contest.

Meanwhile, Home Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh said that no decision has been taken on whether or not Geete will continue in the Union Cabinet after his party Shiv Sena snapped ties with the BJP.

“The party has to take a decision. We have not had any discussions about him. The issue has not come into our consideration yet,” he said.

The Home Minister said that the collapse of BJP’s alliance with Sena ahead of Maharashtra Assembly elections was “very unfortunate”.