In what might be the point of an eventual break up in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, visible signs of cracks have emerged between the Congress and the Shiv Sena. Uddhav Thackeray expanded his cabinet 32 days after taking oath as Maharashtra CM. However, the cabinet expansion has only brought fissures within the alliance to the surface. At least two senior leaders are dissatisfied with portfolio distribution.
Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM, Prithviraj Chavan who was miffed at being denied any highest portfolio has chosen to remain excluded from the cabinet. Citing his political stature, Chavan had demanded a higher portfolio such as the Department of Revenue, Energy Ministry or Rural Development, but it was refused by the Uddhav Thackeray led Sena. Chavan had put forth the condition of a higher portfolio or no post at all. The Congress party is also reported to have offered him the post of state party president, but that too was refused by him.
There were reports over the past week about the Congress being unhappy with the portfolio allocation in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Such fears of the Congress getting disillusioned with the cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation have turned true with Prithviraj Chavan choosing to stay out of the cabinet.
The Uddhav Thackeray government is facing disillusionment even within the Shiv Sena also. Sanjay Raut is reportedly miffed over the exclusion of his brother, Sunil Raut’s exclusion from the cabinet. There are reports that Sanjay Raut’s brother Sunil is planning to bid the party a goodbye because of not being inducted in Uddhav’s cabinet.
Sanjay Raut has assumed a lot of importance within the Uddhav Thackeray led Sena in the recent past, especially after playing an instrumental role in stitching an alliance between the Sena, NCP and the Congress. Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut tried to placate the growing discontentment within the Shiv Sena MLAs said, “Decisions do impact people. Some people will be unhappy but we must keep in mind that that we have to accommodate independents as well. Overall the cabinet is very experienced and a powerful one.”
Uddhav Thackeray is, therefore, facing disillusionment on several fronts, including within his own party.
What further exacerbates the ongoing crisis within the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra is the fact that the NCP and the Congress over farm loan waiver. The NCP and Congress have expressed displeasure over the Aurangabad Hoardings carrying images of only Shiv Sena leaders to highlight the movement of farm loan waiver initiated by the Maharashtra government. The two parties argue that it is a joint decision of the coalition and not the Shiv Sena alone. These hoardings having pictures of Bal Thackeray and the Shiv Sena supremo, Uddhav Thackeray has come up in Aurangabad in Maharashtra recently which seems to be irking the Congress.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance is riddled with disagreements, megalomania and ego conflicts within the alliance. In such circumstances, the alliance seems to have reached the point of an inevitable break up (no breakups in ufabet though). The maximum strength of the Maharashtra cabinet is 43 Ministers. The alliance had been stitched by the three parties purely out of the considerations of power and cabinet berths, but the size of the cabinet warrants a maximum number which cannot be breached. It is clear that all three parties want all plush portfolios, and none of them are satisfied, except the NCP which holds real power. In all probability, the cabinet expansion, which has kicked a storm within the alliance, will eventually lead to splitting up of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.