Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expanded his cabinet on Monday.
Highlights
- Maharashtra cabinet was expanded on Monday with induction of 36 leaders
- In today's editorial, the Sena also attacked former ally BJP
- The opposition should "show magnanimity", it said
Many partymen couldn't make it to the Maharashtra cabinet so that allies could be inducted, ruling Shiv Sena said on Tuesday in its mouthpiece. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray inducted 36 leaders from his own party, the NCP and the Congress on Monday as he expanded his cabinet.
To accommodate Sena "allies like Bachchu Kadu of Prahar Janshakti Party, Krantikari Shetkari Paksh's Shankarrao Gadakh and Rajendra Yedravkar, an independent MLA, many Shiv Sainiks could not make it to the state cabinet", the ruling party said on Tuesday in Saamana, its mouthpiece.
"We had to give a chance to new faces also," Saamana editor and Sena leader Sanjay Raut told news agency PTI. Party MLAs like Sanjay Raut's brother Sunil Raut, Ramdas Kadam, Diwakar Raote, Ravindra Waikar, Deepak Kesarkar and Tanaji Sawant were left out in the state cabinet expansion.
On Monday, Sunil Raut dismissed rumours of quitting his seat. "These are all fake rumours being spread. Before a legislator, I am a disciplined soldier of the Shiv Sena. There is nothing better than the government led by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister taking power in the state," the party MLA said in a statement.
In Tuesday's editorial, the Sena also attacked former ally BJP, which skipped Monday's event at Vidhan Sabha, and said the opposition should "show magnanimity". Former chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis is the leader of opposition in the state assembly.
"Now after a month, the state has a full government of 43 ministers and (Devendra) Fadnavis should not try to bring bad omen. He and his party should not try oppose the government just for the sake of opposing," the party said.
Monday's cabinet expansion came more than a month after Sena head Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in. NCP's Ajit Pawar, who resigned as Devendra Fadnavis's deputy last month after collapse of the BJP government within 80 hours, took oath as Deputy Chief Minister in the NCP-Sena-Congress government. Aaditya Thackeray, the chief minister's son, also took oath.
In the 288-member House, the Sena has 56 MLAs, NCP 54 and Congress 44. The opposition BJP has 105 MLAs.