A day after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government distributed portfolios among its six ministers, leaders of the Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday started lobbying for key ministerial berths when the Cabinet is expanded. Congress leaders have even made trips to Delhi.
With the Sena allotted the Home, Urban Development, Agriculture, Environment, Tourism and MSRDC departments — currently divided among Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai — all eyes are now on Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who will decide who gets what. After the expansion, Mr. Shinde and Mr. Desai are keen to retain either Home or Urban Development, with party leaders Anil Parab, Ravindra Waikar, Gulabrao Patil, Anil Babar, Sunil Prabhu among the main contenders for portfolios.
Pawar conundrum
In the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), confusion persists over Ajit Pawar. According to sources in the party, though there is internal pressure to include Mr. Pawar in the Cabinet, he has left the decision to NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
The party’s State chief Jayant Patil, who has been given the Finance and Planning department, tweeted on Thursday that the portfolio distribution is temporary and the final decision will be announced after the winter Assembly session. In NCP, the names being discussed for portfolios include Dilip Walse-Patil, Nawab Malik, Anil Deshmukh, Hasan Mushrif, Rajendra Shingne, Jitendra Awhad, and Dhananjay Munde.
Congress calculations
The Congress is in a dilemma over accommodating two former chief ministers, Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan. It will also have to manage regional calculations with preference given to Vidarbha and western Maharashtra. From Vidarbha, Vijay Vadettiwar, Yashomati Thakur, Sunil Kedar are the top contenders. In addition, Amit Deshmukh, Satej Patil, Vishwajeet Kadam, Varsha Gaikwad, K.C. Padvi and Amin Patel are others who may be considered.
“Many of our leaders have reached Delhi to convince the high command to give them an important department. The Cabinet expansion will take place within a day or two of the winter session,” a senior leader said.
ZP poll preparations
The Congress on Friday also held a meeting to discuss preparations for the zilla parishad elections in Nagpur, Nandurbar, Washim, Dhule and Akola. “We have given permission to local units to form local alliances with parties in the MVA,” State Congress president Balasaheb Thorat said.
