Mumbai: The much-awaited expansion of the Shinde-Fadnavis government’s ministry is soon going to happen. It has been indicated that this cabinet expansion will be relatively small. However, there is a strong tug-of-war between the Shiv Sena and the BJP leaders for cabinet positions. Along with this, an important piece of news has emerged. Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis had met Bharatiya Janata Party’s Union Minister Amit Shah a few days ago in Delhi. Information about discussions regarding the expansion of the state cabinet had come to light during this meeting. In this meeting, Amit Shah had reportedly instructed Shinde’s faction (Shiv Sena) to give four to five ministries to them, indicating that the new faces should be included in the cabinet, and for this, there is pressure on the Shiv Sena from the BJP.
According to sources in the BJP, although the expansion of the Shinde-Fadnavis government’s ministry has not yet taken place, some ministers will be shown the door. However, Amit Shah did not specifically mention giving ministries to five ministers, as claimed by the Shinde faction. Positive discussions on the expansion of the ministry took place between Amit Shah and Eknath Shinde. However, even after that, there is no consensus on giving the exit order to these five ministers. These five ministers from the Shinde faction include Abdul Sattar (Agriculture Minister), Sandipan Bhumre (Labour Minister), Tanaji Sawant (Health Minister), Gulabrao Patil (Water Resources Minister), and Sanjay Rathod (Food and Drug Administration Minister). The fate of these five individuals to be removed from the cabinet is uncertain.
Even if the expansion of the Shinde-Fadnavis government’s ministry happens, it will be relatively small. About 9 to 10 new ministers will be included in the cabinet. However, there is significant pressure on the Shiv Sena and the BJP leadership to accommodate MLAs in ministerial positions. In this context, Thackeray faction’s loyalist Sanjay Raut had also made statements. In the past week’s meeting held in Delhi, Amit Shah had instructed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to remove the five ministers from his faction. These five ministers had been loyal to Eknath Shinde’s leadership until then. However, now Eknath Shinde is worried as Amit Shah has given orders to show them the exit. This is why Eknath Shinde took leave and went to Kashmir, as stated by Sanjay Raut.
Abdul Sattar, Sandipan Bhumre, Tanaji Sawant, Gulabrao Patil, and Sanjay Rathod, these five ministers have been constantly embroiled in controversies since the formation of the government. Initially, Tanaji Sawant had created disputes with his statements. Even as the Health Minister, his work has not been satisfactory. Abdul Sattar, as the Agriculture Minister, has faced the most criticisms. In the meantime, Devendra Fadnavis had also tried to convince Sattar. In a land-related matter, Abdul Sattar was indicted by the Aurangabad bench of the Mumbai High Court. Additionally, due to objectionable language used against Supriya Sule, Abdul Sattar had become a target of criticism. Sattar’s name is associated more with issues other than agriculture. If there is a need to build a positive image of the government in rural areas, then the agricultural work must be effective. Sattar has fallen short in that aspect. This sentiment is prevailing within the BJP circles.
