Maharashtra: Discontentment in three MVA allies

A day after the Cabinet expansion undertaken by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, there seems to be discontenment among the three Maha Vikas Aghadi parties and its smaller allies.

Several senior leaders of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress seem to be upset that they have been ignored in the first-ever Cabinet expansion, in which Thackeray, the MVA leader, added 26 Cabinet ministers to the earlier tally of six ministers and included 10 Ministers of State.

The strength of the state ministry now is 43.

"There are issues obviously but not that big," a senior MVA leader said.

Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana leader Raju Shetti is also unhappy as he was not invited to the swearing-in ceremony.

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, who was instrumental in the formation of the government, seems to be unhappy as his brother Sunil Raut, a two-term MLA, has not been included.

"We had limited choice, we had to give a chance to new faces as well," Raut told reporters.

Senior Shiv Sena leaders like Ramdas Kadam, Diwakar Raote, Ravindra Waikar, Deepak Kesarkar and Tanaji Sawant, who were earlier part of the BJP-Shiv Sena government, were not included in the ministry.

NCP MLA from Beed district in Maharashtra, Prakash Solanke, too has threatned to resign. "I am going to resign on Tuesday and stay away from politics now," the four-time MLA from Majalgaon said.

"During Cabinet expansion, there are aspirants, and there are some discontenment," admitted Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the nephew of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

The supporters of Pranati Shinde, the daughter of former Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde are unhappy and threatened to resign. "I will ask them not to resign...I will work for the party," said Pranati.