In a major embarrassment to the Eknath Shinde-Maharashtra government, one of the camp's leader Bharat Gogawale claimed that the MLAs are emotionally blackmailing the CM to make them ministers in the much-awaited cabinet rejig. Bharat Gogavale claimed that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde became the CM with the help of 40 MLAs and now it is the CM's turn to return the favour by making them minister in the much-awaited cabinet rejig. He also claimed that the MLAs are emotionally blackmailing the CM.
However, Gogavale said his statement was misconstrued by the media. "What I said was in the context that we 50 MLAs made the same sacrifice was misrepresented by the media. There is no displeasure among us MLAs. Bharat Gogawale without taking the name said that Deepak Kesarkar had hinted that if he was not made a minister, then Narayan Rane, his political opponent in Sindudurg, would end his political career.
Another MLA and minister Sanjay Rathore said that if he does not become a minister, his wife will commit suicide. MLA Sanjay Sheersath had said that he will resign if he does not get the ministerial post, Gogavale said.
On Gogawale's statement, MLA Sanjay Sheersath said, "Bharat Gogawale is an emotional person. He must have said a few things but have not meant those. There is no displeasure in any of our Shiv Sena MLAs."
Uddhav Thackeray-Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray jumped on the opportunity to predict that the ruling will collapse soon. He said, "The Chief Minister is a coward, has no courage to contest elections. If the CM was not a coward, he would not have betrayed us and gone to BJP's washing machine. He would have been in jail today. I repeat that there will be no expansion of the cabinet. This government will fall."
