A visibly unhappy Minister of State Srikanth Jena, who was hoping for an elevation to Cabinet rank, on Tuesday suggested that coalition compulsions had blocked his promotion.
He said he would take up the matter with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He would highlight his seniority in politics and "views of the people of Odisha" on lack of representation in the Cabinet.
"It is the prime minister's prerogative as to whom to make minister and what assignment to give," Jena told reporters after announcement of the reshuffle, in which he retained the portfolio and was additionally given Minister of State with Independent Charge of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
"In this kind of coalition, there are compulsions, I have no choice," said Jena who had sulked after being made Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers in 2009.
Contending that it was a demotion for him as he had served as a Cabinet Minister in the United Front government in 1996, he had reluctantly assumed office as MoS.
Sources close to Jena today said that he was not happy as he had hoped for a promotion to Cabinet rank.
Jena said that he would talk to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi again about his seniority in politics and views of the people of Orissa on the lesser representation to the state.
"I have been telling them about this and will again draw their attention," he said.
Asked whether he had any chance in the future of being elevated to the Cabinet, he said, "In politics, no doors are closed."
To a question on whether he would quit, he shot back, "Why should I quit? The question does not arise...Why should I sulk?"
Jena, whose political career spanned over three decades, weathered the pro-BJD wave in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls to win the Balasore Lok Sabha constituency and was among the six Congress leaders from the state to be elected to Parliament.
Asked whether justice had been done to Odisha people, he said, "You ask the Oriya people. I can be a bowler as well a batsman for the state."
A graduate from Utkal University, Jena has held several important positions as a member in the Committee on Public Accounts, Committee on Public Undertakings, the Library Committee and Committee on Environment.
A three-time Member of Legislative Assembly and fourth-term Member of Parliament, Jena participated in various movements connected with the cause of students, teachers, farmers and youths. He was imprisoned for 19 months during the Emergency.
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