Cabinet expansion done, but talks continue on portfolios in Maharashtra
Mumbai, Jan 02: Amid murmurs of resentment over the distribution of ministries between alliance partners Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP in Maharashtra, leaders of the three parties held marathon meetings on Wednesday to finalise the allocation of portfolios.
The cabinet was expanded on Monday with the induction of 36 ministers which took its strength to 43, including the chief minister.
The leaders held several rounds of talks with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray during the day, sources said.
"Allocation of ministries has been almost finalised. All issues have been resolved. The allocation is expected to be announced by tomorrow," a source said.
Maharashtra Congress chief pacifies sulking MLAs left out of cabinet
District guardian ministers and sitting arrangement of ministers at cabinet meetings were finalised on Wednesday, they said.
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Ashok Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat, Vijay Wadettiwar and Nitin Raut from Congress, Jayant Patil and AjitPawar from the NCP and Eknath Shindefrom the Shiv Sena met Thackeray to discuss allocation of ministries.
According
to
Congress
sources,
the
party
is
upset
that
it
was
not
given
any
of
the
ministries
which
have
a
bearing
on
rural
areas,
such
as
agriculture
and
cooperation.
"We
can
swap
portfolios
with
other
two
parties.
We
are
not
demanding
increase
in
the
number
of
ministries,"
sources
added.
All three parties are facing disgruntlement of leaders who were not inducted in the cabinet.
Among such MLAs are Congress' Sangram Thopte, whose supporters vandalised Pune Congress office on Tuesday, and NCP's Prakash Solanke. Both parties claimed that they have been mollified.
Shiv Sena's Tanaji Sawant is also unhappy over being ignored in the cabinet expansion, sources said.
Bhaskar Jadhav, who had joined the Sena on the eve of Assembly polls, claimed that party chief Uddhav Thackeray had made certain commitments to him, so he was confident that he would be made a minister and the exclusion left him shocked.
Maharashtra cabinet expansion: Ajit Pawar back as Dy CM, Aaditya gets cabinet rank
About a dozen Sena legislators are said to be upset over not getting a place in the cabinet.
On the other hand, the 12 Congress ministers visited Delhi after the swearing-in on Monday.
Congress leaders, sources said, feel that the party has not got agriculture, co-operation, housing and rural development ministries which are concerned with rural parts of the state.
Rural
development,
co-operation
and
housing
are
with
the
NCP
and
agriculture
with
the
Shiv
Sena,
and
the
Congress
is
keen
on
getting
at
least
two
of
these
four
departments.
Congress
has
been
allocated
revenue,
PWD
and
energy,
among
other
ministries.
The
NCP
has
12
cabinet
ministers
and
four
Ministers
of
State,
the
Shiv
Sena
has
10
cabinet
ministers
and
four
MoS
while
Congress
has
10
cabinet
ministers
and
two
MoS.
The
NCP
has
bagged
important
portfolios
of
Home
and
Finance.