Major changes likely in state Cabinet

Sources say Maha Swabhiman Party leader Narayan Rane is desperate for an entry

The Central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has informed Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take a final call on a Cabinet reshuffle even if the Shiv Sena quits from the state government over the issue of the induction of Narayan Rane into the state cabinet. However, the reshuffle would depend on results in the Gujarat Assembly polls and would be take place in the last week of December.

The much-awaited Cabinet reshuffle of the state cabinet would be exercised in the last week of December as the result of polls in Gujarat would be declared on December 18 and the winter session of the state Assembly at Nagpur will finish on December 22.

According to a BJP insider, Narayan Rane, leader of Maharashtra Swabhiman Party (MSP) is desperate to join the Cabinet and he has conveyed his dissatisfaction with the chief minister.

Rane had suo motu disclosed that he alone would be inducted into the state Cabinet before the winter session begins, scheduled from December 11.

“Rane’s eagerness and breach of political secrecy has postponed his entrance into the state Cabinet,” a senior BJP minister revealed on the reason behind why Rane has been kept outside the government till now.

The leader further said, “Fadnavis has to allot a good portfolio to Rane and obviously, he has to disappoint any minister whose portfolio would be given to Rane. Fadnavis has to face annoyance from such ministers and he does not want to portray himself as a villain among his colleagues.”

The party insider claimed that the Central leadership has informed Fadnavis to replace Vinod Tawde, minister for school education with Ashish Shelar, city chief of the party. Again, this will be embarrassing for Fadnavis as there is no instruction about political rehabilitation of Tawde after his removal from the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena has an eye on Gujarat polls. If BJP’s performance will be bad and it wins below 100 seats, the Sena can withdraw its support from the BJP government in the state. However, if Sena feels the political situation is not good, they would continue in the government and would change some faces in the state Cabinet. According to a Sena insider, Subhash Desai, industries minister, would be replaced by Anil Parab and Dr Deepak Sawant, minister for public health, would be asked to resign from his post.