NCP gets maximum portfolios, best deal in MVA government

Even though the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is led by the Shiv Sena, the balance of power in the coalition has tilted in favour of the Nationalist

Even though the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government is led by the Shiv Sena, the balance of power in the coalition has tilted in favour of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

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The NCP has the maximum cabinet portfolios at 12, besides four junior ministerial posts. The Sena has 11 cabinet portfolios and four junior ministerial posts; Congress has eight cabinet and two junior ministerial posts.

Beyond the numbers, if one considers the portfolios, the NCP has a clear upper hand. Besides finance and home departments that are crucial for the state, the NCP has got a majority of important portfolios linked to rural politics and economy such as rural development, water resources and co-operation.

These portfolios have a direct rural connect as they deal with development in rural areas, irrigation projects and the state’s co-operation sector.

In the past five years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had tried to break the dominance of the NCP and Congress in the sugar, milk, banking co-operative sector, besides the agriculture produce markets.

The NCP will now try and bolster their control here and reverse at least what they view as political decisions in this
sector.

“Pawarsaheb has brought this MVA government together, so the NCP’s agenda will get priority. Our support base is in rural areas and we will regain our lost space by strengthening the co-operative sugar and banking sector once again, besides pushing for rural infrastructure and sops for farmers. The BJP government did not have a rural connect or understanding like us,” said a senior NCP leader, who did not want to be named.

Political analyst Surendra Jondhale, however, said the government is still led by Thackeray.

“At the end of the day, it will be a government led by Thackeray. The CM knows that the NCP has experienced ministers and he doesn’t. Further, Pawar (NCP chief) must have convinced him that there is a need for this government to establish rural connect, so departments like co-operation, water resources have gone to the NCP. While the NCP clearly is in a position to do backseat driving, Thackeray seems to have given them these powers, as he doesn’t not want to go down in history as having lost out his big opportunity to run a government,” said Jondhale.

Whether Thackeray has willingly given the NCP the might or whether the latter has bargained well, the fact is that deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, as the face of the NCP, will assume a strong second-in-command position in this government.

As the finance minister (this is his second stint as the finance minister), he also holds the keys to the state exchequer and is in a position to speed up projects and drive the government agenda.

The NCP is not making any bones about its political agenda. Pawar had already demanded in the winter session of the state legislature that the former government’s decision to hold direct elections to presidents of municipal council and nagar panchayats be reversed.

The NCP believes direct election helped the BJP win control over a majority of these local self-government institutions. They want to reverse this before the next round of elections in 2022-2023.

The Congress, however, is wary of the NCP’s dominance in the government and is unhappy that it could not get even one portfolio linked to rural areas, which could earn it a certain clout among rural populace.

“We have revenue and PWD, which are important portfolios, but to make an impact in rural constituencies it is good to have a department like rural development or agriculture,” said a Congress minister, who did not want to be named.

A senior Congress functionnary said that in the long run, they knew they could not contest polls with the Sena.

“In district councils we can tie up with the Sena, but we can’t face 2024 with the party. The priority for now is to run this government on common minimum programme and strengthen our base,” he said.