Cabinet expansion the next challenge for Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde

Government has 23 vacant ministerial berths to fill, even as it prepares for municipal elections, and battles a shift in Shiv Sainiks' sympathies

With the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly coming to an end on Thursday, the pressure is building on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to accommodate more rebel legislators in his Cabinet.

The mood in the rebel camp has been mixed over the past month since they chose to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party to form the government in the state.

Some MLAs like Bacchu Kadu, an independent who was a minister in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, are disappointed that they weren’t given ministerial berths. Others like Shiv Sena rebel Sanjay Shirsat are hopeful of being chosen in the next expansion.

Kadu was promised a ministerial post in the newly formed government, he said. But, the assurance was not met, as he was snubbed in the swearing ceremony, held at the Raj Bhavan earlier this month.

Kadu, chief of the Prahar Janshakti Party, is one of 41 MLAs who switched sides to join the Shinde’s camp in July.

“I’d spoken with him [Eknath Shinde] after the Cabinet formation, and he assured me to wait till the next expansion,” said Kadu. Though disappointed, Kadu said he would continue to support the Shinde-Fadnavis government even if he is snubbed for a second time. “To induct me or not is his call, but if our demands aren’t met, we’ll see what to do next,” he added.

While no official date has been fixed for the expansion it is believed that it could be done as early as next week.

At present, the state Cabinet has 20 members out of a maximum of 43 — 10 from the BJP and 10 from the Shinde camp. The ruling alliance has the support of 167 MLAs, 106 of the BJP and 41 of the Shinde camp. Though the alliance has the numbers, its leaders are taking no chances and are expected to accommodate some prominent members of the Shinde camp.  

But not everybody’s demands may be met. Mangesh Kudalkar, an MLA of the Shinde faction, said: “I understand [Kadu’s] contention, but not everyone in the government can be given a ministerial berth. Only people Shinde saheb thinks are responsible enough will be given this opportunity.”

Even though Shirsat is a little dismayed over not being picked for the Cabinet, he believes that Shinde will abide by his commitment. “It’s obvious that there’s a little discontent among my supporters, but I’m sure that in the coming expansion I’ll be allocated a ministerial berth.”

With 23 ministerial berths vacant and many MLAs to placate, Nitin Birmal, professor at the Dr Ambedkar Art & Commerce College in Pune and state coordinator of Lokniti, said that such a compromised Cabinet will barely last a year. “It’s about time the BJP realises that there’s no merit in being in power with the Shiv Sena, they’ll exit the party. And it might happen before or after the civic elections,” he added.

Other challenges

Perceptions, too, appear to be against the ruling coalition. The latest C-Voter survey has predicted that if the Lok Sabha election were to be held today, the alliance would get just 18 seats while the previous MVA coalition would win 30 seats.

Besides, managing MLAs isn’t the only problem Shinde has to deal with. Shiv Sainiks’ sympathies also appear to be veering towards the Thackeray faction. On August 20, a huge crowd came out in support of Aditya Thackeray, at Pachora, Jalgaon, the constituency of Gulabrao Patil, one of the rebel MLAs.

This grassroots support, Birmal says, is still intact in their bastion–Mumbai–at the shakha level. “And this will help them in the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, due later this year,” he added.