Seven Cabinet and 17 Ministers of State are likely to be inducted in second phase
Nagpur: In the Shinde-Fadnavis Government of 19 ministers, there is no Guardian Minister in any of the 36 districts of the state. In view of this, the Cabinet expansion is on the cards and will happen in October (before Diwali). Out of 288 MLAs, only 15% are eligible to become ministers. Therefore, the number of ministers will be only 43.
The BJP has given the Chief Minister’s post to Eknath Shinde and has taken over other important portfolios. The Ministers of Revenue, Higher and Technical Education, Forest, Tribal Department, Rural Development, PWD and Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection belong to the BJP. The Shinde faction, on the other hand, has portfolios of Water Supply and Sanitation, Ports and Mining, Food and Medicine, Employment Guarantee Scheme and Horticulture, Industry, Public Health and Family Welfare, Agriculture, School Education, Cooperatives, State Excise, Tourism, Women and Child Welfare.
At present, Chief Minister Shinde himself is looking after the Ministry of Urban Development, Transport, Relief and Rehabilitation (Disaster Management), Soil and Water Conservation and Minority Departments. On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis holds the portfolios of Home, Finance, Housing, Water Resources and Energy. It is being said that in the second phase of Cabinet expansion, Urban Development will be the only department with the Chief Minister. The reason behind this would be to give him enough time in view of the upcoming elections across the state, especially for the constituency of 40 MLAs with him.
It is noteworthy that in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, BJP will have to work hard to get more and more MPs elected and after the Assembly elections, the BJP alliance will once again come to power in the state. The present allocation of portfolios has been done with an aim to enable senior leaders to visit the state and meet the people. If sources are to be believed, there may be a change in the portfolios given to the ministers. However, there is a high probability that some departments will be exchanged.
In all, the Shinde-Fadnavis Government will have 26 Cabinet ministers and 17 Ministers of State. Seven Cabinet and 17 Ministers of State will be inducted in the second phase.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde promised to make his party MLAs ministers by September 15, who did not find a place in the Cabinet. But the second phase of expansion is likely in October, so there is a fear of resentment. Meanwhile, MLAs of Shinde faction allege that due to BJP, difficulties are being faced in the second expansion.
