Maharashtra ministers meet Sonia, Rahul amid discontent
After the cabinet expansion in Maharashtra, Congress Ministers met party interim president Sonia Gandhi and former chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday here. The ministers were accompanied by Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal and party secretary Ashish Dua.
Senior ministers, including Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavan, who took oath on Monday, also met the top leadership.
The Congress in the state has been facing internal differences with some senior leaders saying that they have been ignored in the cabinet expansion.
From Mumbai Amin Patel, the two time MLA was expecting a cabinet berth, but was overlooked while as younger members - Aslam Sheikh and Varsha Gaikwad - were inducted in the cabinet.
The senior leaders have made their grievances known to the party leadership. The Congress, which came fourth in the Assembly polls is now planning to accommodate senior leaders in the party and many may be assigned organisational work, said a source.
While a leader said that the purpose of the
Senior leaders have made their grievances known to party leadership. Congress came fourth in polls is now planning to accommodate senior leaders and many may be assigned organisational work
meeting was to discuss the party outreach programme in the state and also to give a feedback on the alliance.
One of the ministers said that the meeting was a thanksgiving message to the party chief and take direction from the top leadership on how to move forward in the state.
The Congress has got 12 berths in the cabinet and is eyeing some key portfolios. Apart from the speaker’s post, the party has to appoint a new state president as Bala Saheb Thorat has been inducted in the cabinet.
Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who was the frontrunner for the speaker’s post is now being considered for the state chief post. Another former chief minister Ashok Chavan is also now part of the cabinet.
A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackery expanded his cabinet to its full strength, discontent appeared to be brewing among sections of the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies, here on Tuesday.
Several senior leaders and legislators of Shiv Sena-nationalist Congress Party-congress, who feel left out of the cabinet, have been making disgruntled sounds and at least one has threatened to quit as MLA.
While NCP’S four-time MLA Prakash Solanke from Majalgaon in Beed threatened to quit his seat late on Monday night, claiming he was disgusted with politics and would only concentrate on social work henceforth.
When contacted (by IANS), a NCP spokesperson said the party has no such indication from Solanke so far, and said there may be some issues which could be sorted out with discussions.
Similarly, angry supporters of Congress MLA from Solapur City Central Praniti (Sushil Kumar) Shinde also threatened to resign from the party.
However, an unruffled Praniti has assured that she would speak to them and request not to quit and all of them would continue to work for the party as before.
Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut — who played a monumental role in delivering the MVA government — were allegedly sulking as his two-term MLA brother from Mumbai Sunil Raut was not made a minister.
However, both the brothers late on Monday dismissed all media speculation and said there was nothing amiss, and that the party was above any post.
Several senior Sena men like Ramdas Kadam, Ravindra Waikar, Diwakar Raote, Deepak Kesarkar and Tanaji Sawant — all ex-ministers were also dropped this time.
Sanjay Raut attributed this to the limited choices before the party and its inclination to give chance to new and younger faces in the government.
“During cabinet expansion, there are many aspirants and there is also some discontent,” said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on a sympathetic note.
Other smaller allies like Swabhiman Shetkari Sanghatana were also upset that they had been overlooked for at least one ministerial post by the bigger MVA partners. A Sena leader told on Monday that there was no need for any of the MVA legislators to panic if they have missed a chance to join the state cabinet.