Union Minister RCP Singh, who was dropped by the JDU from the list of candidates to contest Rajya Sabha elections, disputed the claim of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on proportional representation in Narendra Singh's cabinet and said that symbolic representation was enough.
JD(U), the ruling party in Bihar, has instead chosen to nominate little-known Kheru Mahto from the seat in Jharkhand.
RCP said that it was gracious on part of the BJP that a seat was offered to JDU in the cabinet, though BJP has an absolute majority with 303 seats in Lok Sabha.
"We should be grateful to them", he said and in obvious reference to Nitish Kumar, Singh said "Apko bula liya cabinet Mai, bahut hai. (it is enough that you have been called to the cabinet)."
Nitish had abstained from the swearing-in ceremony of RCP Singh in protest against the denial of proportional representation to JDU which has 16 members in Lok Sabha.
RCP, who had been associated as a civil servant with Nitish Kumar since 1994, said that since he has been denied renomination by the JDU, he would work as a common party worker.
He regretted that the party leadership reduced the number of different wings and cells to 12 against 33 when he was the party president. Singh claimed it was he who had strengthened the party and established booth level organization.
Asked to comment on the suggestion that Nitish Kumar as PM material, the minister said, "this is the problem, you do not realise the reality. Devegowda was PM briefly, but of no consequence".
Singh said he would meet the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi soon and seek his guidance, if he seeks my resignation, I will hand it over immediately".
