After some wait, the Maharashtra CM question finally got an answer on Friday. However, now a new challenge has arisen in the form of portfolio allocation.
Fadnavis’ swearing-in indicates how it took exactly six months for the BJP to change its perception about its fate.
After the June 4 Lok Sabha results, when the BJP’s tally rose from 303 seats to 240, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a gathering of NDA MPs. In his speech, he mentioned the NDA several times, stressing the “consistency” of the alliance over the past decades as several parties had joined and left it. His speech meant that the NDA’s centrality was waning over the BJP.
But will it all be easy for Fadnavis? Not really.
There are many challenges facing his administration on almost all fronts, social, economic and political.
The economic challenges facing the new grand coalition government will loom large as Fadnavis is forced to navigate the challenge of balancing the debt-ridden state’s fiscal considerations with the democratic measures promised by the ruling coalition in the run-up to the polls.
According to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) from earlier this year, the state owes Rs 2.75 lakh crore over seven years, making disbursement of funds for welfare schemes a difficult task.
Then there are the political considerations Fadnavis must make. Although the weak opposition is good news for the new chief minister, the management of inter-alliance conflicts could cause problems. His predecessor Eknath Shinde’s difficulty in accepting the post of deputy chief minister showed that he would not be a “yes man” and that the Shiv Sena would make a tough deal to make its way into the government.
Shinde is said to have looked at home and urban development.
Ajit Pawar, who has scored a few points with the BJP by presenting himself as a perfectly favorable ally, has his own demands too, with housing and finance – the ones he held in the previous grand coalition government – at the top of his list.
The urban development ministry is in the Shiv Sena’s sights, but there are tussles over revenue, housing and urban development.
Jharkhand Update
As the Hemant Soren-led government of India heads into its first meeting in Jharkhand on Friday, it finds itself facing its first political test, around which the 56-seat coalition runs in the state.
On Thursday, tension arose over an alleged “leak” of a letter sent by the Congress leadership in Delhi to Chief Minister Soren on portfolio allocation to Congress ministers. A disgruntled Soren reportedly saw this as a challenge to his authority.
However, the final portfolio announced on Friday afternoon showed very few changes from the letter allegedly written by Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal.
The letter written by Venugopal surfaced hours after the Soren ministry was sworn in (the chief minister was sworn in a few days ago) along with four Congress members. It read: “Dear Hemant Soren Ji, I would like to inform you that the Hon’ble Congress President has approved the portfolio allocation for the Ministers of the Indian National Congress as detailed below.” It was said to be for Soren’s “further necessary action”.
According to the letter, Congress MLA from Chhatarpur Radhakrishna Kishore will hold Finance, Planning and Development, Commercial Taxes, Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, Mahagama MLA Deepika Pande Singh will handle Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare, and Parliamentary Affairs Departments; Jamtara MLA Irfan Ansari will be the Minister of Rural Development and Rural Affairs Department of Panchayati Raj. and Mandar MLA Shilpi Neha Tirki Minister for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives, and Disaster Management.
According to the official announcement on Friday, Kishore has been appointed as Minister of Finance, Commerce, Planning and Development and Parliamentary Affairs. Deepika Pandey has Rural Development, Rural Affairs and Panchayati Raj; Ansari has been given the responsibility of health, public distribution and disaster management. And Tirki gets agriculture, animal husbandry and cooperatives.
CM Soren himself holds ministries including Administrative Reforms, Home, Public Works and Vigilance.
– With PTI input