E-Paper
Too many ministerial aspirants in Pune district, but limited spots
Many of the elected legislators from Pune district, having won for the third or fourth time, are vying for ministerial positions
PUNE The recently concluded Maharashtra assembly elections have brought a significant number of experienced legislators from Western Maharashtra into the state assembly. Many of them, having won for the third or fourth time, are vying for ministerial positions. However, the strong majority of the ruling Mahayuti alliance presents a challenge as the limited number of cabinet spots may leave many hopefuls disappointed.
With several senior leaders and former ministers elected, the new government faces a tough task in selecting ministers, particularly from the Pune district.
According to a leader from the Mahayuti alliance, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the distribution of ministerial berths is likely to allot 21 to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 12 to the Shiv Sena, and 10 to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The BJP alone secured 132 seats, Shiv Sena got 57, and the NCP won 41 seats in the election.
Out of the 70 assembly seats across Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur, and Ahmednagar, the Mahayuti alliance secured a decisive victory in 53 seats, leaving 12 for the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and five for other parties.
In the Pune district, NCP chief Ajit Pawar is a prominent contender, along with others like Dilip Walse Patil, Dattatray Bharne, Chandrakant Patil, Madhuri Misal, and Bhimrao Tapkir. Bharne, Misal, and Tapkir have each won their fourth terms, while Walse Patil will serve his eighth term as an MLA from Ambegaon.
From the Shiv Sena, Vijay Shivthare, a former minister, is also in the running for a cabinet post while NCP’s other MLA Datta Bharne has been elected for the third time.
In the previous Eknath Shinde government, the Pune district had three ministers: Ajit Pawar, Chandrakant Patil, and Dilip Walse Patil.
The Constitution (91st Amendment) Act, 2003 limits the size of all ministries to 15% of the total number of members in the Lok Sabha (for central government) or the state assembly (for states). Accordingly, Maharashtra cannot have more than 44 ministers.
If the party opts to prioritise women’s representation, Misal, who won her fourth term from Kothrud, could be considered. For caste balance, Kamble might be accommodated. If seniority and the Maratha factor are weighed, Bhimrao Tapkir could emerge as a contender.
Misal said, “I am the only woman MLA who has won four times. All are ambitious, so there is nothing wrong with expecting a bigger responsibility. If the party gives me the responsibility, I will accept it wholeheartedly.”
There is also speculation about Siddharth Shirole as a surprise candidate for a ministerial post. A close ally of Devendra Fadnavis, Shirole is seen as an educated, multilingual, cosmopolitan face with a Maratha background, which may align with the party’s long-term leadership strategy.
Meanwhile, beyond Pune, BJP leaders like Shivendraraje Bhosale, who won with a massive margin of 1.42 lakh votes, Subhash Deshmukh from Solapur South, and Sudhir Gadgil from Sangli are among those eyeing cabinet positions under the BJP quota.
The balancing act of rewarding seniority, maintaining caste representation, and addressing regional aspirations will test the Mahayuti alliance’s decision-making as it finalizes the cabinet lineup.
