Mumbai: After a week of the swearing-in ceremony, the most anticipated actual distribution of portfolios in Maharashtra’s Cabinet is still official. The CM Eknath Shinde got nine important ministries including urban development, housing, and public works. However, the Home Ministry – the one that was required by Shinde – stayed with the Deputy Chief Minister and BJP stalwart Devendra Fadnavis suggestively maintaining the upper hand of BJP in the politics of the state.
Disagreements on sharing of portfolios had been simmering since the BJP came to power in Maharashtra state with the support of Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar of NCP. Discussions in flights to resolve the disagrements were conducted at the residence of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah held in Delhi and all the three leaders; Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis were present. But this independents’ combine did not crumble the BJP which, despite knowing the importance of the MMS on retaining power, decided to keep the crucial Home Ministry for itself.
Other portfolios under him are: Law and Judiciary, General Administration, Information and Publicity, Energy & New & Renewable Energy ( parted ways with Government of Maharashtra in March 2016 ). As this happens, the BJP has now even more clearly positioned itself as the ‘big brother’ in the alliance which was also seen in the more recent disagreements over the distribution of the election seats for the Maharashtra state legislature.
On the other hand, Shinde’s Shiv Sena got several other portfolios available to it. Gulabrao Patil will handle the department of water supply and sanitation; Dada Bhuse will being the school education department; Sanjay Rathod has been given the department of water and soil conservation. Uday Samant targets industries and Marathi language and Shambhuraj Desai will undertake tourism and mining departments.
At the same time the NCP delegation led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also staked claims . Even for other important ministers, departments like finance and planning and state excise, go directly under Ajit Pawar. Apart from other leading NCP leaders, Manikrao Kokate would look after agriculture, Hasan Mushrif, medical education, Dhannanjay Munde, food, civil supplies and consumer protection, Dattatray Bharane, sports and youth welfare, minority welfare and Waqf . Besides, Aditi Tatkare is appointed the cabinet ministers of women and child welfare department, while Pratap Sarnaik is the head of transport ministry.
It is learnt that Ajit Pawar first demanded agriculture, health, higher education & cooperation ,but finally got finance & state excise which are stated to be as dominating as the former.
The intrusion within the alliance – primarily the BJP’s control of the high-profile positions like Home and Finance Ministries – indicates its continuation of the company’s preferred position. Analysts are recalling that such targeted distribution is an imitation of BJP dominance during the earlier sustained alliance with both, Shinde’s group, and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena.
In the ever changing political scenario of Maharashtra the BJP is very loud and clear to everybody including its partner and even the opposition.