Maharashtra CM Shinde Faces Berth Pangs as Shiv Sena MLAs Push for Cabinet Expansion

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde is under pressure from Shiv Sena MLAs over the issue of cabinet expansion, sources told News18 on Monday. Sena legislators who joined the Shinde faction last year were promised cabinet berths, but so far only 10 of them (including Shinde) have become cabinet ministers after they rebelled last year to bring down the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Shiv Sena leaders like Bharat Gogawale, Sanjay Shirsat, Prakash Surve, and independent MLA Bacchu Kadu who supported Shinde during his rebellion are not happy due to delays in the cabinet expansion.

In a recently held meeting of Shiv Sena MLAs, this was conveyed to CM Eknath Shinde in very strong words, said sources. According to a leader who is aware of the developments, Shinde assured his legislators that the cabinet expansion will happen before the monsoon session of the Maharashtra state assembly commencing on July 17 in Mumbai.

While speaking to the media, CM Shinde said, “The cabinet expansion will happen soon.” But he didn’t give an exact date.

Reacting to the issue, former cabinet minister and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray took to Twitter.

According to the information available, the meeting that Shinde had called with his MLAs last Wednesday was a stormy one. Many MLAs of Shiv Sena demanded that they should get cabinet berths this time. Several legislators were of the opinion that leaders like Uday Samant, Dada Bhuse, Sanjay Rathod, Shambhuraj Desai, Abdul Sattar, and Deepak Kesarkar were given responsibility as a cabinet minister or state minister either in 2014, 2019, and 2022. So this time new faces should be inducted into the cabinet and portfolios of senior ministers should be given to new faces. Some MLAs in the same meeting also said that the caste equation should be taken into account while inducting new legislators in the cabinet, the sources said.

The situation in the BJP is also somewhat tumultuous, said sources. Though dissent in the party is not as visible as in Shiv Sena, many leaders are keen to know whether they will get cabinet berths this time or not. According to some leaders, BJP MLAs like Sanjay Kute, Madhuri Misal, Ashish Shelar, and Nitesh Rane are some names of probables who may get cabinet berths or responsibilities as ministers of state in a cabinet expansion. But who will get which portfolio is still a mystery as Ajit Pawar is also bargaining hard for plum portfolios like finance, Revenue, and energy, said sources. All these portfolios are with the BJP. It is being said that Shinde has made it clear to the BJP that he will not be giving portfolios from the Shiv Sena quota to Ajit Pawar and his team, the sources added.

While speaking to News18 in Mumbai, senior BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said, “One or two upset MLAs don’t represent the voices of all the 40-50 Shiv Sena MLAs. The way we can’t induct all BJP MLAs as ministers, the same way we can’t make all Shiv Sena MLAs ministers. Some will have to make sacrifices or wait for their time.”

From July 17, the monsoon session of the Maharashtra assembly will commence. A few cabinet berth aspirants are of the opinion that a cabinet expansion should be done before Thursday so that the newly inducted ministers will get some time to know their departments. Because being the minister of that department they will have to face the questions of MLAs on the floor of the house and give satisfactory answers to their questions.