‘Loyalists Ignored’: Congress MLAs Left Out of Maharashtra Cabinet

Six Congress MLAs reportedly alleged that the party loyalists have been ignored.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar shakes hands with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

(Photo: PTI)

Several Congress MLAs, including senior leader Prithviraj Chavan were upset after they were left out of the Maharashtra Cabinet which was expanded on Monday, 31 December, NDTV reported.

Six Congress MLAs – Prithviraj Chavan, Naseem Khan, Praniti Shinde, Sangram Thopte, Amin Patel and Rohidas Patil – reportedly alleged that the party loyalists have been ignored and reached out to senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday to raise their concerns.

Putting speculations to rest, NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra on Monday, more than a month after Uddhav Thackeray was sworn as the chief minister. Shiv Sena scion Aaditya Thackeray was also inducted into the Cabinet.

Thackeray expanded his Cabinet by inducting 36 ministers.

‘Unworthy of Politics’: NCP MLA Decides to Resign

NCP MLA from Beed district in Maharashtra, Prakash Solanke, on Monday, announced that he would resign as the member of the Legislative Assembly, saying he is “unworthy of politics,” according to PTI.

Solanke, who got elected from Majalgaon seat on four occasions, denied any link between his sudden decision and his non-induction in the state Cabinet.

"I am going to resign on Tuesday and stay away from politics now," Solanke told PTI.

The MLA further said he was not unhappy with any leader in his party.

"I have apprised NCP leaders about my decision to step down. I will meet Legislative Assembly Speaker (in Mumbai) on Tuesday afternoon and hand over my resignation letter. My resignation has nothing to do with the Cabinet expansion," he clarified.

‘Had Limited Choice’: Sanjay Raut on Cabinet Expansion

Amid speculation that some senior Shiv Sena leaders were unhappy after not being inducted into the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra council of ministers, party MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said the Sena had a "limited choice" in the three-party alliance government, PTI reported.

Raut told PTI that they had to accommodate allies who supported the Thackeray-led party.

"We had to give chance to new faces as well," the Rajya Sabha member said.

Raut skipped the much-awaited ministry expansion ceremony on Monday. His absence was attributed to his brother Sunil Raut, a Sena MLA, not getting a ministerial berth.

The opposition BJP also skipped the swearing-in ceremony.

The Shiv Sena last month joined hands with the Congress and NCP, after its alliance with the BJP collapsed over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post.

(With inputs from NDTV and PTI.)