Proceedings of the winter session of the state legislature entered third day without the ministers being allocated their portfolios. However, with deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, making his appearance in the Vidhan Bhavan after a two-day absence, spurred the hopes of the issue of allocation of individual work to ministers being resolved soon.
There was a buzz that Ajit Pawar was in Delhi to meet top leaders of the NDA to get final clearance for his name for the post of state finance minister. There was no indication from the government as to when the portfolios would be distributed among the 33 cabinet ministers and six ministers of state who took the oath on Sunday. While it is the first time in the state’s history that the legislature is functioning without a particular task being assigned to each of the ministers, the government is showing no urgency in getting over with it.
It is widely believed that the delay is mainly because of the Mahayuti government’s apprehensions that it would incur more displeasures and heartburns. More so, with the Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde , already dethroned from CM post to deputy, harboring hopes of crucial ministries like Home , PWD or revenue for himself and his trusted colleagues. Sources indicated that the Sena ministers were being placated with two additional portfolios of housing and tourism.
Meanwhile, former deputy CM and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal has taken a more belligerent stance on his being dropped unceremoniously from the ministry by rallying supporters in his home turf of Nashik. He walked away in disgust from Nagpur on the opening day of the winter session singing “wahan nahi rehana, jahan nahi chaina.” (no point in staying where there is no respite)
But on Wednesday another disgruntled politician, the BJP’s former finance minister Sudhir Mugantiwar, made his presence felt at Vidhan Bhavan humming: “Jeevan chalne ka naam, chalte raho subaha shaam,” (life goes on, keep walking). “My anger was ephemeral, I am committed to work for my party and electorate,” he said about his making peace with the situation.
