MUMBAI: In a bid to shunt the motor-mouth, errant and corrupt ministers, there is speculation that the BJP led Mahayuti government may soon go for its major cabinet rejig ahead of local body elections.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, now six months into his third term, faces mounting criticism as several ministers and MLAs from the ruling coalition have courted controversies.
Recent incidents such as a half-naked Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad's beating to MLA canteen staffer’s video got viral and that has sullied the image of the government showing arrogance of power. Besides, another Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirtsat who was also caught in camera half-naked, with a bag full of cash where he was also smoking the cigarette made the perception that the ruling party MLAs and ministers are making money in illegal ways through kickbacks.
Further damaging the government’s image, BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar who is touted close to CM Devcndra Fadnavis also bought the hard core criminal in Vidhan Bhavan without any entry pass and used to them to assault the NCP SP MLA Jitendra Awhad’s close aide Nitish Deshmukh also badly damage the image of the government. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar led NCP ministers are not also lagging behind. Maharashtra agriculture minister and NCP MLA Manikrao Kokate was caught in video playing online junglee rummy during the monsoon session of Maharashtra state assembly, besides he continues to spark controversy calling his own government beggar.
Sources indicate that Fadnavis may axe underperformers and controversial figures, including Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat, Sanjay Rathod, Bharat Gogawale, Yogesh Kadam while agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate, food and drugs minister Narhari Zirwal, in NCP while in BJP also, water resource minister Girish Mahajan may be asked to step down and party work responsibility may be entrusted while state assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar who is keen working as minister, may be inducted as minister while on his place, BJP MLA Sudhir Mungatiwar may find the place.
"The CM is also evaluating ministers’ performance based on a 100-day departmental review and those failing to deliver may face removal. The report is card ready and soon, it will be made public,” said a highly placed source requested anonymity.