In a significant statement referring to the Maharashtra political landscape, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated on Friday that many aspiring ministers are now disheartened due to the increasingly crowded field, leaving them wondering what to do with their "tailored suits". Gadkari made these comments at a programme hosted by the Nagpur Vidyapeeth Shikshan Manch.
During his speech, the senior BJP leader mentioned the Bhutanese Prime Minister's concept of a "domestic happy human index" and claimed that contentment eludes most people.
"If a person accepts that they have received more than they deserved, that person can be happy and content," the Road Transport and Highways Minister was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Otherwise, corporators are dissatisfied because they did not become MLAs, MLAs are dissatisfied because they did not become ministers, and ministers are dissatisfied because they did not get a good ministry, according to Gadkari.
"...and now those who were going to become (ministers) are unhappy, wondering if their turn would ever come, because it has become so crowded," he said, eliciting laughter and applause from the audience.
Drawing an analogy, Gadkari mentioned that some individuals had suits tailored for their swearing-in ceremonies, but with the crowded field, they now face the dilemma of what to do with their "suits".
"They had suits stitched up for the swearing-in ceremony. Now the question is what to do with that suit, (as) there is a crowd (of aspirants)," he continued, lightheartedly.
While the hall where the programme was held can hold a large number of people, Gadkari stated that the size of a ministry cannot be expanded in this manner.
Since the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar joined the Maharashtra government on July 2, opposition leaders have claimed that there is simmering discontent among Shiv Sena MLAs and its ally BJP as their ministerial ambitions have been thwarted, the PTI report said.