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Smaller allies seek four ministerial posts
The four allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena combine have demanded four ministerial posts, insisting the Shiv Sena should not seek the chief ministerial
The four allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena combine have demanded four ministerial posts, insisting the Shiv Sena should not seek the chief ministerial post for itself. They said at the most, Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray should take up the post of deputy chief minister.
Republican Party of India (RPI), Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP), Shiv Sangram and Rayat Kranti Sanghatana have won seven seats.
Addressing the media, Union minister and RPI chief Ramdas Athawale said the allies deserve one minister’s post each.
“We have played a pivotal role in this win and should be awarded with a ministerial post each,” said Athawale. However, he said they were not insisting on cabinet ministership.
“If we strongly insist on getting cabinet berths, we will not even get a minister of state post,” said Athawale.
The allies have also opposed the Sena’s claim for rotational chief minister.
“We want Devendra Fadnavis for five years, as the BJP has got more seats than the Sena. We will seek an appointment with Uddhav Thackeray (Sena chief) to convince him to drop this demand…Even in 1995, when the Sena had more legislators than the BJP, they kept the chief minister’s post for their entire term. In the future, if the Sena gets more seats, they should occupy the top seat,” he said.
Currently, the allies are uncertain about their inclusion in the cabinet as the BJP would be forced to concede more ministerial berths to the Sena, considering its dependence on the party.
As all allies are of the BJP, the BJP would find it difficult to accommodate them. When asked what the allies would do in case the BJP doesn’t accommodate them, Athawale said, “We will continue to cry till our demands are met.”
In the past five years, the BJP hasn’t given much power to the allies.
After two years in power, in 2016, the BJP inducted Sadabhau Khot of Rayat Kranti Sanghatana and Mahadev Jankar of the RSP as ministers.
Recently, Avinash Mahatekar of Republican Party of India was also inducted.
Shiv Sangram chief Vinayak Mete had to be content as the chairman of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial Project.
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