BJP slams Uddhav government for failing to allocate portfolio to ministers even after a week
MUMBAI: The BJP on Thursday slammed the newly formed Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state under Uddhav Thackeray for not being able to complete even the portfolio allocation to the ministers who took oath at a grad ceremony a week back.
BJP leader Adv. Ashish Shelar criticised the government saying that their failure to allocate portfolios to its ministers even after a week of being sworn in has created “huge unrest” within MLAs of the three alliance parties.
The Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP came together and formed the MVA government which took office last Thursday. However, ministers are yet to be allotted portfolios.
“The MVA made promises to Independents at the time of government formation, but eight days after the swearing-in ceremony, not a single ministerial portfolio has been allocated,” Shelar said in a statement.
He claimed that there was “huge unrest” among legislators of all the three MVA alliance partners.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, Sena leaders Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai, NCP MLAs Jayant Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal, and Congress’ Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut also took oath on November 28. But they have not been assigned any ministry so far.
While earlier, it was said that the Shiv Sena and the Congress were ready with their lists and the portfolio allocation along with the cabinet expansion was getting delayed due to NCP’s internal issues, now it is coming forth that the Congress is having trouble in the distribution of portfolios and hence the party is delaying it.
NCP’s Ajit Pawar wanted to become Deputy CM, but the party leadership is contemplating disciplinary action against him. This led to a decision that Ajit Pawar won’t take oath at the grand ceremony.
However, after a week now it seems that the Congress leadership is finding it difficult to allocate portfolios among its state leaders amicably.
To add to the problems faced by the Congress, a new formula is said to have propped up wherein the NCP will get 16 portfolios, the Shiv Sena will get 15 and the Congress will get 12.
This has further upset the original plan conceived by the party leadership.
Now, the cabinet expansion certainly won’t happen before the winter session of the assembly that is to start on December 16, said a senior Congress leader.
However, the current ministers will have to reply to questions during the assembly session and that is why the basic distribution of portfolios will have to be done this week, the leader added.
The ministers will have to prepare for the session on their respective departments, he added.
A meeting of prominent Congress and NCP leaders took place in New Delhi earlier this week to discuss the allocation of portfolios, according to sources.
“The meeting was attended by NCP’s Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, and Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan and Nitin Raut. A discussion with the Shiv Sena will follow before taking a final decision,” the source said.