State cabinet expansion could be delayed till December 30

Although Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders had said that an expansion of the Uddhav Thackeray-led state cabinet would take place this week, the exercise might

Although Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders had said that an expansion of the Uddhav Thackeray-led state cabinet would take place this week, the exercise might get delayed to December 30, as the lists of nominees, especially that of the Congress, are yet to be finalised. According to insiders, even as some issues over portfolio allocation continue to exist, both the Sena and NCP have almost finalised their names and are awaiting Congress’s list.

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State Congress leaders, including the party’s state unit chief Balasaheb Thorat, were in New Delhi on Monday to meet the party’s top brass and finalise the list of MLAs who are to be inducted into the cabinet. “However, the entire exercise was delayed as Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former president Rahul Gandhi, along with the entire top brass of the party, were busy with protests against the National Register of Citizens at Raj Ghat,” a senior Congress leader said. “If the names are finalised late on Monday or early on Tuesday, the exercise can take place on Tuesday, or else, it could get delayed, maybe till after Christmas,” the leader said.

The Congress, NCP and Sena, which constitute the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), are planning to induct six to 10 ministers each. Ever since Thackeray was sworn-in as the chief minister (CM) with six ministers from all three parties on November 28, the expansion of his ministry has been awaited. A senior NCP leader said, “We are ready for the expansion any day and are awaiting the Congress’s list…However, there could be some issues with the distribution of portfolios between the three parties.”

The NCP and Sena are likely to trade portfolios during the cabinet expansion. The Sena is likely to give the crucial home department to the NCP, in exchange for a significant department from the latter’s kitty.

“Although there were deliberations, the issue is being sorted out between our party chief Sharad Pawar and CM Thackeray,” said the NCP leader.

Congress was reportedly unhappy with the home department being given to the NCP and was expecting a portfolio significant to rural politics, but there has been no progress on the same.

Meanwhile, Pawar and Thackeray held a closed-door meeting at the state guest house, Sahyadri, on Monday.

NCP insiders said the meeting was in connection with the cabinet expansion as well as Pawar’s recent demand that the government appoint a special investigation team for a probe the Elgar Parishad case.