'No one is unhappy over Maha Cabinet expansion' claims Ajit Pawar amid Cong infighting

Dismissing reports of dissent among Congress and Shiv Sena leaders over the Cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar asserted that no one is unhappy. The clarification came after reports emerged that various leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government were reportedly upset over with cabinet expansion, that came a month on Monday after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's swearing-in ceremony. 

"Order on portfolios might be released tomorrow. Nobody is unhappy with the portfolio allocations," Ajit Pawar said after a key meeting with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders of the coalition. "In today's meeting, we discussed which responsibility should be given to which minister. Other issues were also discussed in the meeting," Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister said.

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Tussle over portfolios in Congress

The Maharashtra Cabinet expansion has reportedly broken a rift between a faction of Congress over the allocation of portfolios in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, with senior party leaders feeling that the loyalists are being ignored at the time when they deserve an opportunity. Earlier on Wednesday, Maharashtra Minister Balasaheb Thorat disclosed that many MLAs wanted to be included in the Cabinet but there are fewer ministerial berths in the government.

On Monday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray inducted a total of 36 ministers in his one-month-old coalition government comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress. Seniors like Ashok Chavan, Vijay Wadettiwar and Sunil Kedar were among 10 ministers of the Congress who found a place in the new government.

However, the choice of certain leaders is ministers and portfolio allocation seems to have not gone down well with a section of Maharashtra Congress. A senior Maharashtra Congress leader questioned the integrity of MLAs Aslam Sheikh and Vishwajit Kadam on Tuesday who was inducted into the new cabinet, claiming that both the leaders were reportedly keen to jump the ship to the BJP prior to the Assembly polls held in October last year. They are reportedly also met with then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. 

The dominance of leaders from the Maratha caste and "no representation to OBC leaders from the Congress" in the new Cabinet is another reason for resentment, the leader claimed. Along with former CM of Maharashtra and MoS to former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prithviraj Chavan, Sushil Kumar Shinde's daughter Praniti was dropped from the Maharashtra Cabinet. As per sources, the Congress leaders also claimed that Maharashtra Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge presented a biased report to Sonia Gandhi.

Former minister and senior Congress leader Naseem Khan admitted to resentment. "It is true that there is unrest in the party rank and file over the choice of ministers from the Congress quota (in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government). There is a feeling that loyalists have been sidelined. I hope the party's central leadership will take note of the issue," he said.

(with agency inputs) 

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