Portfolio allocation likely today, cabinet expansion postponed

The cabinet expansion in Maharashtra has been postponed due to differences over the allocation of ministerial berths between the ruling parties. However, portfolios will be allocated to nine ministers backing Ajit Pawar on Friday. The Ajit-led NCP faction is unlikely to get the significant portfolios it had sought from the BJP.

The differences over allocation of ministerial berths continued between the three ruling parties -- BJP, Ajit Pawar-led NCP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena -- till Thursday evening, which has led to the cabinet expansion being postponed. The coalition government will however go ahead with its previous plan of allocating portfolios to nine ministers backing Ajit Pawar, most likely on Friday. The plan has been delayed by eleven days already.

Mumbai, India - March 14, 2023: Leader of the Opposition Ajit Pawar, Jtiendra Awhad, Anil Deshmukh along with Opposition party legislators protest during the Maharashtra Budget Session, at Vidhan Bhavan, Nariman Point, in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

The move will also lead to a rejig of portfolios as several departments that ministers of Ajit Pawar’s NCP are likely to get are either entrusted with the BJP or Shiv Sena. Ajit Pawar will get the finance portfolio, as decided earlier by BJP. This decision was arrived at after Pawar along with NCP working president Praful Patel met union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday evening.

On Thursday, chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy chief ministers — Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar -- met at Varsha to discuss portfolios, which according to NCP insiders, is in the final stages and likely to be declared on Friday.

Apart from finance, the party is expecting other key portfolios, which may not come its way. NCP insiders said the Ajit faction is unlikely to get significant portfolios it had sought from BJP. “The party may not get energy and excise departments, which it had sought for Dhananjay Munde and Chhagan Bhujbal respectively. Aditi Tatkare may get women and child development department, while the cooperation department may go to either Dilip Walse-Patil or Hasan Mushrif. Another NCP minister is likely to get rural development,” party insiders said.

Confirming that portfolios will be allocated, Sunil Tatkare, state president, of Ajit Pawar-led NCP told reporters, “There is no confusion anymore and all of us have taken a unanimous decision to work for a better tomorrow.” He avoided comment on cabinet expansion as he said, “The power for the expansion rests with the chief minister and only he can speak about it.”

NCP insiders said that both the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP are not keen on the cabinet expansion as both parties have a long list of aspirants who will be upset if not inducted in the ministerial council.

“One of the major reasons for conflict is the guardian minister’s position of Raigad district. Owing to the pressure from his party MLAs, especially Bharat Gogawale, the chief minister is not ready to cede claim over it. It has remained a bone of contention between the ruling allies,” said a senior NCP leader, requesting anonymity.

However, despite all indications that the cabinet expansion has been postponed till the monsoon session of the state legislature, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat claimed that it will go through on Friday.

“I’m sure it will not be delayed until the monsoon session; it will happen on Friday itself. All the discussions are complete. The cabinet expansion will be held tomorrow at 11 am and portfolios will also be allocated,” he said.

Shirsat’s claims are at odds with 90% MLAs from the Ajit-led NCP faction, who were staying in Mumbai because of the cabinet expansion, leaving the city. “The hopeful aspirants, who were confident about their induction in the ministerial council, started leaving the city from Thursday evening after they were told that cabinet expansion is being postponed,” said an NCP MLA privy to the development.

Meanwhile, in a first sign of trouble in the Ajit camp, MLAs have expressed their unhappiness for not getting an opportunity to be inducted as ministers; chief among them are Manikarao Kokate, Atul Benke and Kiran Lahamate.