Nitish Kumar, who later attended PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony, said 'it is not a big issue.'
BJP ally JD(U) on Thursday decided to not be a part of Narendra Modi's new Cabinet, saying it would not accept the BJP's offer of only one ministerial berth.
"They (BJP) wanted only one person from JD(U) in the Cabinet, so it would have been just symbolic participation. We informed them that we do not need it (Cabinet berth)," JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar said after a meeting of party leaders.
Kumar, who later attended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony, said, "It is not a big issue. We are fully in the NDA and not upset at all. We are working together. There is no confusion."
"We are not joining the government. This is our decision," Varma, who is also the general secretary of the Janata Dal (United), told PTI.
The BJP was offering one cabinet berth to the JD(U) and sources said the regional party was also unhappy with the portfolio offered to it. The BJP, however, is sharing power in the Bihar government with its leader Sushil Kumar Modi as the Deputy Chief Minister.
The JD(U), which is headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was not a part of the first Modi government as well. It had allied with the saffron party in 2017 but had not joined the government.
There was no comment from the BJP over the development. JD(U) won 16 seats in Bihar in the recently concluded Lok Sabha, while BJP bagged 17.
Narendra Modi took over as the country's Prime Minister for a second term on Thursday after he was sworn in along with Union ministers, including BJP president Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and former foreign secretary S Jaishankar, a surprise pick.
Modi, 68, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering ceremony at the forecourt of majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan.
"Honoured to serve India!" tweeted Modi after taking the oath for the second consecutive term.
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