Maharashtra cabinet expansion: Even after 10 days of NCP's Ajit Pawar joining the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, the deadlock between the two groups regarding the distribution of portfolios and cabinet expansion persists. While the Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde faction is adamant that expansion should be done first and then the portfolios should be distributed, the Ajit Pawar group wants the vice versa.
While the NCP is eyeing all the plum portfolios — Finance, Irrigation and Energy, Transportation, Food supply, Sports and Youth Welfare, the Eknath Shinde group is adamant about not parting ways with such ministries.
The Ajit Pawar faction is also eyeing Finance, a ministry which is with the BJP. The Shinde faction meanwhile, wants to keep Excise, Education and Transport Department which is currently with Shiv Sena.
According to sources, senior BJP leaders want that some old ministers should be removed from BJP and Shiv Sena. New faces should be given a chance. Some senior ministers from Shiv Sena should step down from the post of BJP and prepare for the Lok Sabha elections. Following this, there is resentment among the present ministers of both BJP and Shiv Sena. And owing to these reasons, there is a delay in cabinet expansion or portfolio distribution.
Meanwhile, the opposition has attacked the state government for the delay in the expansion of the cabinet and the distribution of portfolios, calling the government a three-fold mess.
