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Cabinet expansion: Mahayuti MLAs scramble for berths

Dec 15, 2024 06:36 AM IST

In Mumbai, intense competition for ministerial positions in the new BJP-led Mahayuti government escalates ahead of a cabinet expansion on Sunday.

MUMBAI: The scramble for ministerial berths in the new BJP-led Mahayuti government hit fever pitch on Saturday, with MLAs in the Shiv Sena and BJP in the ruling coalition vying fiercely for positions in the new Cabinet and council of ministers.

Cabinet expansion: Mahayuti MLAs scramble for berths
Cabinet expansion: Mahayuti MLAs scramble for berths

The first cabinet expansion in the Devendra Fadnavis government will take place on Sunday, a day before the winter session of the state legislature begins. It is also more than two weeks after the chief minister and his two deputies, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, were sworn in.

After much discussion, debate and several meetings between senior leaders, a decision has been taken on key portfolios and the power-sharing formula between the three coalition parties, clearing the decks for new ministers to be sworn in.

The competition is most intense in the Sena, led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. On Friday night, many prominent MLAs like Sanjay Shirsat, Yogesh Kadam, Vijay Shivtare, Bharat Gogawale and Balaji Kinikar met Shinde to plead their case. Two former ministers – Deepak Kesarkar and Tanaji Sawant – failed to secure an audience with Shinde, despite waiting for over five hours.

The BJP is firm that tainted and controversial MLAs will not be inducted, and has objected to Kesarkar, Sawant, Abdul Sattar and Sanjay Rathod being shortlisted by the Sena. Dropping Kesarkar and Sawant will not hurt Shinde politically, but Sanjay Rathod, who hails from the Banjara community which has a strong presence in parts of Vidarbha, is important to Shinde’s socio-political equations.

Rathod is linked to the suicide of a young woman in Pune and, according to Fadnavis, should be excluded from the Sena’s list. However, Rathod pointed out that NCP chief Ajit Pawar plans to nominate Indraneel Naik, who also hails from the Banjara community, from Yavatmal. Rathod said that without him, Shinde’s influence over the Banjara community could wane. BJP leaders confirmed that Rathod met Fadnavis on Saturday. He told the chief minister that his presence in the government would help maintain a balance in regional representation, party insiders said.

Sources said there were complaints of high-handedness against Abdul Sattar and, as health minister, Tanaji Sawant, frequently clashed with various health secretaries. Kesarkar is also facing strong opposition from BJP leader Narayan Rane, due to local politics in Sindhudurg district, from where both politicians have been elected. Party insiders said that apart from Sanjay Rathod, Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat too met Fadnavis to plead his case.

Things were more restrained in the BJP camp although, here too, a stream of MLAs queued up to meet Fadnavis on Saturday, including Shivendraraje Bhosale and Rahul Awade. In line were also many young leaders. The party is believed to have nominated Santosh Danve, son of senior leader Raosaheb Danve, Rahul Awade, Shivendraraje Bhosale, Namita Mundada, among others. Senior BJP leader and former minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil also met Fadnavis.

Fadnavis said the party had sent its list to the central leadership for its approval. With the final seal of approval yet to come, MLAs continued to jostle for space in the new cabinet, in case there are last-minute changes in the list.

Fadnavis told the media it was just a matter of time before the number of ministers getting an opportunity in the cabinet would be announced and their respective portfolios.

All Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande was willing to say was, “It is natural that every MLA who is hopeful of becoming a minister would petition his leader.”

Sanjay Shirsat refused to comment, while Deepak Kesarkar and Tanaji Sawant did not respond to phone calls.

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