Mumbai: With Shiv Sena getting 12 of the 39 ministerial berths, Eknath Shinde has his work cut out—he has to pacify those who missed the bus and the three who were dropped while keeping his flock together.
Compared to 2022, when Shinde became CM and Sena had nine ministers with just 40 MLAs, this time the party has had to make do with 12 ministers despite having 57 MLAs.
While murmurs of discontent have already begun—Bhandara MLA Narendra Bondekar resigned on Sunday as the party’s deputy leader and Magathane MLA Prakash Surve is also said to be upset over being denied a cabinet berth—Sena is expected to have a two-and-a-half-year term for ministers and have a rotation policy to accommodate more MLAs as ministers.
The policy is being pegged as a win-win for all. “Eknath Shinde said the ministerial post will be given only for two-and-a-half years. If the performance is not good, then the post can be taken away even before that. This is a very good formula. Those who work will get ahead,” said Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat. Some new ministers, however, are said to be unhappy with the formula. “I think there may be some displeasure. We also work as a family while working in Shiv Sena. So we, the ministers, will try to remove any displeasure that may arise. Why two-and-a-half years, if Shinde asks us to step down in two months, we will step down. Because it is our responsibility to perform and work,” said party minister Uday Samant.
With BJP expected to take the home portfolio—which Shinde was keen on—Sena is hoping to get urban development, housing and industries to balance the power equation in the Mahayuti govt. NCP chief Ajit Pawar is likely to bag the finance portfolio, effectively making him No. 2 in the govt. Political observers said Sena will have to quickly get its act together and mobilise its ministers and senior functionaries for BMC and other local body polls, where it will once again have to bargain hard with BJP for seats.
“The assembly poll results propelled Shinde as one of the tallest leaders in Mahayuti. With his presence at all Mahayuti and NDA rallies and meetings in Maharashtra, his anti-Uddhav and anti-MVA stand, combined with his close rapport with BJP brass, including PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, he gained a statewide footprint,” said an observer. “But in the days after, BJP stood its ground and refused to budge. It will be hard for Sena to have an impact in Mumbai and other urban centres where local body polls are expected. Sena will have to pull up its socks and deliver in its departments, which will be a challenge under a BJP CM.”
The clouds of worry were momentarily dissipated in Nagpur on Sunday when Shinde arrived for the House session. After a rousing welcome, he congratulated Devendra Fadnavis for returning as CM. “Many people ridiculed him for his ‘punya yein’ slogan… He has experience as CM and will guide the state on the path of development again. I shall support him just as he supported me as deputy CM,” he said. (With inputs from Sarfaraz Ahmed in Nagpur)
