By IANS,
New Delhi : Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s likely elevation as the new Leader of House in the the Lok Sabha after Pranab Mukherjee, the lack of a coordination panel within the UPA, and a feeling of being left out while the Congress takes key decisions has miffed NCP chief Sharad Pawar, said party sources.
According to the sources, Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party chief, is not happy over media reports that Shinde, who was once his protege, could rise to become Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha after Pranab Mukherjee was nominated for the presidency.
Though NCP leader Praful Patel Friday denied that Pawar hankers for the number two rank in the cabinet and is upset that the slot vacant after Mukherjee’s exit in the Manmohan Singh cabinet has gone to Defence Minister A.K. Antony, party sources said the decision has not gone down well with the Maratha leader.
The NCP sources further said the party has been raising the issue of a coordination panel within the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) for the last three years, but there has been no progress on this front.
Pawar’s party also feels the Congress does not involve it in key decisions like foreign equity in retail, the proposed anti-terror hub or the proposed food security bill.