Three days after the Uddhav Thackeray-led government expanded its cabinet to include 36 ministers, the plum portfolio was allocated on a widely reported tug-of-war between the three parties. On Thursday, the Shiv Sena confirmed that there were uneasiness among the Maharashtra Vikas Agadi (MVA) allies and resolved the fact that the ‘strong and experienced’ cabinet was retained.
The Shiv Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana that there was a fight between the senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Maharashtra Congress President Balasaheb Thorat over the revenue portfolio.
“Smoke is rising within the Congress over portfolio distribution. Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is in the cabinet and is to be given a respectable portfolio. The portfolio that can match their experience is the revenue [department]. But currently, Balasaheb Thorat of Congress has a portfolio. It remains to be seen what decision is being taken on this issue.
The Shiv Sena also said that there is discontent among the leaders of the three parties after the cabinet was out of expansion. It said that dissatisfaction is always seen after expansion by any government. The Shiv Sena defied the opposition (BJP), which is rejoicing happily after resentment in the MVA alliance and the previous Devendra Fadnavis-government added no exception to dissatisfaction with the cabinet expansion.
The editorial of the Marathi daily took a dim view of the violence by supporters of Congress leader Sangram Thorpe, who did not become a minister. In a Congress editorial, the editorial read, “The Congress used to call the Shiv Sena protests ‘caste culture’ (hooliganism), but what the alleged supporters of Thopte did.” This is not in keeping with the Congress culture. ”
The Shiv Sena also resented party president Uddhav Thackeray after several senior leaders openly resented his exit from the Council of Ministers.
Shiv Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav had told the media that Thackeray did not make his point of joining him as a minister after joining Shiv Sena from NCP as Minister of State.
Jadhav claimed that Thackeray had promised to make him a cabinet minister. To our knowledge, no such promise was made to him. Thackeray may have asked him to join the Shiv Sena before the assembly elections and become part of the government.
