The Maharashtra cabinet has 42 ministers, including a CM and two DCMs. While Mr. Fadnavis has inducted 19 ministers for the first time, many senior leaders from all three parties – the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party – have been left out.
Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar, who is close to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, has expressed his displeasure and claimed that he was kept in the dark till the last day. NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who is the senior-most OBC leader in Maharashtra among all parties, has rejected his party’s offer to go to the Rajya Sabha. Shiv Sena’s Tanaji Sawant has returned to his hometown from Nagpur after learning that he will not join the state cabinet.
Similarly, there are reports of protests and resignations of BJP leaders from various parts of the state. Mr. Fadnavis and his representatives must strategize to pacify the slanderous leaders who are seen as creating problems for the government in the coming days.
One of the strategies of the Mahayuti leaders is the formula of ‘one and a half years’. Mr. Shinde and Mr. Pawar have publicly said that some sitting ministers may be asked to resign after two-and-a-half years to give other MLAs a chance. Mr. Fadnavis was more diplomatic about it. He clarified that the performance of all the ministers will be audited and changes may be made based on the performance.
But now it seems like a conspiracy to give hope to the neglected. Mr. Fadnavis has also kept one seat open. Maximum number of Maharashtra Cabinet can be 43 including CM. The leaders of Mahayuti have not decided which party will get the 43rd cabinet. In all likelihood, it will never be filled and will be used as a dangling carrot for their legislators.
Although women voters played a decisive role in the victory of Mahayuti, there are only four women ministers in the 42-member cabinet. Of the 36 districts in Maharashtra, 16 are not represented in the Fadnavis cabinet. This shows that despite his best efforts, the Maharashtra Chief Minister has not been able to balance all aspects, which has also disappointed many MLAs. With fewer than 50 MLAs on the opposition benches, the biggest challenges for Mr Fadnavis will come from his own party and alliance partners. His longevity in the CM’s office depends on how long he can please his bosses and how tightly he can keep his alliance partners and party MLAs on a leash.