Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expanded his cabinet last month. (File)
Former Maharashtra Congress MP Yashwantrao Gadakh has warned his partymen and leaders of Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party who have expressed dissatisfaction over portfolio distribution in last month's cabinet expansion by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. In a strong message, he has said: "Behave properly or Uddhav Thackeray will resign."
The 76-year-old leader's comments come after several Congress leaders expressed disappointment over allocation of portfolios and cabinet berths. Senior leaders like Vijay Wadettiwar had to be cajoled by party leadership.
Mr Gadakh, a three-time MP from Ahmednagar, said that Uddhav Thackeray is "not a regular politician" and "he has the mentality of an artist".
Leaders of the Congress and NCP - two allies of Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi - "should stop complaining about portfolios", he advised.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expanded his cabinet last month after long-drawn consultations. The three parties were in a tussle over cabinet berths and portfolio distribution. The NCP seemed to be a clear winner as it bagged Home, Finance and Water Resources portfolios along with the Deputy Chief Minister's post which went to Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar.
Congress leader Abdul Sattar, who had joined the Shiv Sena before the state elections, had reportedly quit over not being given a cabinet berth but he later withdrew his resignation.
Amid dissatisfaction brewing withing the alliance, the BJP has attacked the Uddhav Thackeray government saying it "will fall apart because so many leaders are unhappy".
Addressing a rally earlier this month, former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis targeted the Sena-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi over the tussle.
"A month's time was taken for the expansion of the ministry. Even after a week, they are unable to allot portfolios. And now even before portfolio allotment takes place, one minister has already resigned. This is the beginning of the fall of this government," Mr Fadnavis had said.