Shiv Sena-led govt to expand Cabinet today
MUMBAI: Just over a month after he took over the reins of Maharashtra in a dramatic turn of events, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday will expand his Cabinet of ministers of the three-party Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government.
Currently, there are six ministers in Thackeray’s Cabinet. The council of ministers can have up to 42 ministers and a chief minister.
With 36 berths available, more than 30 MLAs of the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress are expected to take oath. The parties may keep a couple of spots vacant to be filled later. Allocation of portfolios is also expected soon after the expansion.
Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar is expected to be inducted into the cabinet and he could return as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, party insiders said. Apart from Pawar, his party colleagues Dilip Walse Patil, Dhananjay Munde and Nawab Malik are expected to be inducted into Thackeray’s council of ministers.
Congress is likely to induct senior leaders Ashok Chavan,
Vijay Wadittiwar and KC Padvi, among others. However, the Congress may leave another former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan out. There are speculations that he may be given responsibility of the party’s state unit.
The Sena, which is headed by Thackeray, is expected to retain some of its ministers in the previous government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
It will also induct some fresh faces this time. Party insiders said that Thackeray was not keen on giving ministerial berths to senior leaders Diwakar Raote and Ramdas Kadam, who were ministers in the previous government.
Thackeray scion and Worli MLA Aaditya is unlikely to be inducted. He is expected to focus on party work and gain an understanding of government functioning before being made minister at a later stage.The three par
PARTY INSIDERS SAY SENIOR NCP LEADER AJIT PAWAR COULD RETURN AS THE DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER OF MAHARASHTRA
ties, who were in a huddle for two weeks, have also kept regional and caste representation in mind, while deciding to pick ministers.
NCP’s Ajit Pawar, Hassan Mushrif, Walse Patil, Datta Barne, are from western Maharashtra. Dhananjay Munde and Rajesh Tope, who are expected to be inducted, are from Marathwada region.Aditi Tatkare, debutant MLA from Shrivardhan in Raigad and daughter of senior NCP leader Sunil Tatkare, is likely to be inducted.
According to Sena functionaries, Tanaji Sawant, Ravindra Waikar, Sanjay Rathod, Gulabrao Patil, Dada Bhuse could be retained.
Abdul Sattar, a former Congress MLA who joined Sena ahead of the polls, could be inducted with Anil Parab, who is considered close to Thackeray.
Meanwhile in Congress, veteran tribal leader from north Maharashtra KC Padvi would be included along with Wadettiwar and Satej Patil. Of the big four portfolios—Home, Urban Development Department, Finance and Revenue—the Sena intends to keep UDD and Home. The NCP is pressing for home department along with finance. The Congress will get the revenue department.