3 days, 36 ministers without portfolio in the cabinet of Udhav Thackeray: Tension increases
The Maharashtra CM Udhav Thackeray expanded his cabinet three days before and 36 newly appointed members have continued to be ministers without submitting their portfolios. The allied parties: The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress has failed to give consent over the portfolio distribution.
The reports have suggested that internal tension has increased among the parties. The parties have stood up against each other claim at the same time.
Looking over the past experiences, three days time is a little early for Udhav Thackeray to fix the portfolio problems. However, he had already announced that portfolios will be distributed in two weeks once he takes oath as a CM of Maharashtra among six other ministers. The oath taking ceremony was held on November 28, which clearly states that the portfolios were to be distributed by December 12.
The delayed distribution of portfolio occurred due to the increased tension in the ruling coalition; however, Udhav Thackeray on the day of expansion of cabinet said portfolios will be distributed in a day. Till Tuesday, January1, 2020 no distribution of portfolios among 36 ministers could be seen.
After three days, reports say that Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, had to miss first batch of oath taking ceremony because of his resentment for the party and was seen to join hands with BJP, is in dilemma to choose the portfolio department of home or revenue.
At present the department of home is under Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Shena, who is the most trusted person to Udhav Thackeray and the revenue is under Balasaheb Thorat of the Congress, recognized as Maharashtra Congress chief and party legislature wing leader.
It is being speculated that Ajit Pawar will be given the finance portfolio, currently held by Jayant Patil, who indulged as a serious rival in the NCP.
Former CM Ashok Chavan is also among the new ministers, who will be taking charge of revenue department, presently held By Thorat. The reports suggest that he is not willing to give away the powerful portfolio being the legislature wing leader of Congress party.
A list of leaders has missed to board the bus of Udhav Thackeray cabinet exapansion. The names are Sunil Raut- brother of Sanjay Raut, Bhaskar Jadhav, Pratap Sarnaik, Prakash Abitkar and Tanaji Sawant.
Udhav Thackeray has held various meetings with Ashok Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat, Vijay Wadettiwar and Nitin Raut from Congress, Jayant Patil and Ajit Pawar from the NCP and Eknath Shinde of Shiv Sena to sort out the mess of portfolio distribution but no conclusion has been drawn yet.