Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis newly expanded cabinet has upset many prominent leaders and ‘murmurs’ of protest has emerged within Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance.
11 prominent leaders were excluded from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s newly expanded cabinet. Many supporters of leaders who were left out are now raising concerns regarding stability within the alliance.
Key Exclusions and Party-Wise Breakdown
Among the three constituents of the Mahayuti alliance- BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction suffered the most, with five of its senior leaders being dropped.
These include: Chhagan Bhujbal, Dharmarao Baba Atram, Sanjay Bansode, Dilip Walse Patil and Anil Patil.
The BJP excluded: Sudhir Mungantiwar, Ravindra Chavan and Vijaykumar Gavit.
From Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, the leaders excluded were: Tanaji Sawant, Abdul Sattar andDeepak Kesarkar.
NCP (AP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal says: Declined Rajya Sabha Seat
Chhagan Bhujbal, a senior leader from Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, openly criticized his exclusion. Expressing disappointment, he announced he would no longer attend assembly sessions and would return to his constituency, Nashik.
Bhujbal revealed that he was offered a Rajya Sabha seat but declined, calling it unfair to the voters of Yeola. His supporters staged protests in Yeola, demanding answers over his exclusion.
Senior BJP Leader Sudhir Mungantiwar Contradicts Fadnavis
Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar also voiced his concerns. Contradicting Chief Minister Fadnavis’s statement that there was a “long discussion” about his exclusion, Mungantiwar said he was only informed on the day of the cabinet expansion. He claimed that his name had initially been included in the list of ministers but was removed at the last moment.
“I will continue working for the welfare of my constituency, but I do not know why my name was dropped,” Mungantiwar told reporters. He also met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, describing the meeting as one “between an elder brother and a younger brother.”
Discontent in Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena
The exclusion of three leaders from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena has also triggered dissent. Sena MLA Narendra Bhondekar resigned from all party posts, while Prakash Surve, the MLA from Magathane, expressed disappointment. Surve, who joined Shinde’s camp during the rebellion, criticized the neglect of leaders who fought for the party during turbulent times.
“I have struggled to reach here. Many of those who are getting positions are children of big leaders, but I will continue working,” Surve stated.
Cabinet Expansion and New Faces
The cabinet reshuffle introduced 25 new faces.
Notable inclusions include:
- Pankaja Munde (BJP), former Minister for Women and Child Welfare
- Ganesh Naik
- Ashish Shelar
- Jaykumar Rawal
- Nitesh Rane
- Meghna Bordikar
- Madhuri Misal
Of the 39 ministers inducted, 33 are cabinet ministers and 6 are ministers of state. The BJP secured 19 ministerial berths, while the Shiv Sena got 11, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP received 9.
The cabinet expansion focused on gender representation, with four women legislators being inducted:
1. Pankaja Munde (BJP)
2. Madhuri Misal (BJP)
3. Meghna Bordikar (BJP)
4. Aditi Tatkare (NCP), who played a key role in implementing the Ladki Bahin Yojana.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis defended the decisions, stating that ministers excluded this time were dropped based on their performance. He announced an audit of ministerial work to further justify the reshuffle.
‘There is no disagreement’ says BJP State Chief
State BJP Chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule dismissed claims of internal conflict, asserting there was no delay or dispute in portfolio allocation. “There is no disagreement. The decisions have been taken after consultation, and announcements will be made soon,” he said.
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