The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) decision to hand over the state remote control to deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has created unrest among seniors, who share cordial relations with party president and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar.
Almost a dozen seniors are worried about their role in the organisation under Ajit ‘Dada’ politics. To his credit, Ajit has given an assurance that the entire exercise of shortlisting candidates for the cabinet will be a collective effort.
Party sources said, “A formal decision on portfolios and ministers will be taken by Ajit in consultation with state party chief Madhukar Pichad, Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel and Sharad Pawar.”
The initial list of 10 candidates clearly showed the party does not want to take drastic measures and antagonise its established ministers. But it is clear there will be some alterations to weed out non-performers.
Many wonder why a performer like Rajesh Tope was left out of the first list. Former food and civil supplies minister Anil Deshmukh and former tribal welfare minister Babanrao Panchpute find themselves on the back-foot. The party is not too happy with Panchpute’s performance.
Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil will be happier as a cabinet minister, but his induction is being ruled out. Political managers argued, “If they pitch for a new speaker, it will require a fresh mandate from the house, which is a complicated exercise.” Moreover, he is suitable to handle the coalition and an aggressive opposition in the state assembly.
Indications are that a thrust will be given to ensure a regional balance, with representation to backward castes and regions.
This is inevitable to wipe off charges that the NCP has divested Chhagan Bhujbal, the leader of the other backward castes (OBC), of the deputy CM’s post.
