Modi 3.0 Cabinet: Why did NCP leader Praful Patel reject BJP's offer to make him a Minister of State?

livemint.com:

no leader from the NCP, the BJP's ally in Maharashtra found a place in the council of ministers.The NCP, the BJP, and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena are part of the Mahayuti, the coalition that rules Maharashtra. Praful Patel, NCP chief Ajit Pawar, and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis reacted to the development as the PM Modi-led new cabinet swore on Sunday.Patel believed that accepting the position of Minister of State with independent charge in the Union Cabinet would be a "demotion"."Last night we were informed that our party will get a Minister of State with independent charge.

I was earlier a Cabinet Minister in the Union Government, so this will be a demotion for me," Patel said on Sunday.Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar said, "Praful Patel has served as a cabinet minister in the central government and we did not feel right in taking Minister of State with independent charge."ALSO READ: 'Did I go anywhere?’ Sharad Pawar reacts to Praful Patel’s claim that he was ’50% ready’ to go with BJP in 2023’He said the NCP has one Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha MP today. "But in the next 2-3 months we will have a total of 3 members in the Rajya Sabha and our number of MPs in Parliament will be four.

So we said we should be given one (cabinet ministry) seat," he was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.Ajit Pawar told reporters on Sunday that the party is ready to wait for a few days but would prefer to get a cabinet ministry. "...we told them (BJP) that we are ready to wait for a few days, but we want a cabinet ministry," Pawar said.