Vidarbha legislators vie for cabinet berths as Mahayuti govt moves to quell discontent

Nagpur: As the Mahayuti govt gears up for a likely cabinet expansion to address growing discontent, particularly among chief minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena MLAs and independents, legislators from Vidarbha are positioning themselves for ministerial berths. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis’s sudden trip to Delhi on Monday for meetings with top BJP leaders fueled speculations about the expansion.

While Fadnavis remained tight-lipped about his plans, there are rumors that CM Shinde and deputy CM Ajit Pawar might join him to finalize the list of new ministers.Before the Lok Sabha elections, about 14 ministerial berths, including Minister of State (MoS) positions, were vacant. This sparked competition among the three Mahayuti constituents — BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP (Ajit Pawar). With several MLAs, like former minister Sandipan Bhumre from the chief minister Shinde camp, elected as MPs, the number of vacancies has increased to 15.The current cabinet composition stands at 10 from BJP, and nine each from Shiv Sena and NCP. Given its strength of 105 MLAs, BJP is likely to seek seven new berths, while Shiv Sena (38 MLAs) and NCP (40 MLAs) may get four each. Independents like former minister Bachchu Kadu, who had served as MoS for school education in the Maha Vikas Aghadi govt, are also vying for positions. Kadu had openly criticised the ruling dispensation for the delay in the expansion. Other names in contention include Ravi Rana (Badnera), Narendra Bhondekar (Bhandara) and Kishor Jorgewar (Chandrapur).From BJP, senior legislators such as Sanjay Kute from Jalgaon-Jamod and Krishna Khopde from Nagpur East are being considered, along with Hingna MLA Sameer Meghe and Randhir Sawarkar from Akola East. According to sources, MLCs like Pravin Datke and former minister Parinay Fuke, who recently secured a second term as MLC, are also contenders.For Shiv Sena, independent MLA from Ramtek Ashish Jaiswal is speculated to be a strong candidate, along with Buldhana MLA Sanjay Gaikwad and Mehkar MLA Sanjay Raimulkar. From NCP, former minister Rajendra Shingane is seen as a potential candidate.The last cabinet expansion was done on July 2, 2023, after Ajit Pawar-led NCP group broke away from Sharad Pawar’s party and joined the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance. Prior to this, the saffron parties expanded the cabinet on August 9, 2022. The initial cabinet, formed on June 30, 2022, included only CM Shinde and deputy CM Fadnavis.As the political landscape in Maharashtra continues to evolve, the cabinet expansion could prove crucial in maintaining stability within the Mahayuti alliance. The inclusion of representatives from Vidarbha may also address concerns about regional imbalance, potentially strengthening the coalition's position in this important region of the state, sources in BJP said.