Union Cabinet Reshuffle Or Sena's Opposition To Give Finance Dept To NCP: What Is Delaying Cabinet Expansion In Maharashtra?

While more than a week has passed since Nine NCP MLAs were inducted into the Maharashtra cabinet under Eknath Shinde, the long-awaited cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation are still pending. Chief Minister Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have repeatedly assured MLAs of the Shiv Sena and BJP, respectively, that the expansion will take place "very soon."

However, deadlines keep getting extended, leading to restlessness among the MLAs. The two main reasons cited for the delay are the pending reshuffle of the Union cabinet and differences among the coalition partners regarding the allocation of finance and cooperation ministries.

Union cabinet reshuffle likely on Tuesday

Speculation is rife that the Union cabinet reshuffle will likely occur on Tuesday. There are indications that at least two BJP ministers in the Central cabinet from Maharashtra may be dropped, while two MPs from the Shiv Sena may be inducted. Although this reshuffle is not directly related to the state cabinet, it will have an impact on the state cabinet reshuffle since the parties will need to maintain regional balance. This means that MLAs from the regions represented by the dropped Union ministers have a better chance of being included in the state cabinet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to leave on a foreign tour on Wednesday, making tomorrow the only day before the monsoon session of the state legislature begins on July 17 when the Union cabinet reshuffle can take place. State leaders are waiting for this to happen before deciding on the state cabinet reshuffle, according to sources.

Logjam over two ministries delaying cabinet expansion

Another significant reason for the delay is the differences over power sharing within the ruling coalition. Although it seemed last week that Shinde, Fadnavis, and Pawar had reached an agreement and portfolio allocation would be done over the weekend, it is now being said that the NCP's insistence on getting the finance and cooperation portfolios, and the BJP's reluctance, is complicating matters.

Legislators in the Shinde camp are concerned that if Ajit Pawar is given the finance portfolio, he may not allocate adequate funds for the development of their constituencies, as has happened in the past. Despite CM Shinde's attempts to persuade them to let Pawar have the finance portfolio, some of his MLAs remain wary.

NCP insists on having cooperation ministry

Sources also reveal that the NCP is insisting on having the cooperation portfolio as well, but the BJP is unwilling to part with it. The NCP wields its power, especially in the rural areas of Maharashtra, through a tightly knit web of cooperative institutions, ranging from credit societies to banks and sugar mills. The BJP is reluctant to allow them to have control over this ministry. Furthermore, at the Centre, a strong leader like Amit Shah is overseeing the newly formed ministry, and he too would be unwilling to let any other party encroach on his territory.