Diwali over, focus back on cabinet expansion

CM expected to add Rane, new faces from Marathwada and Vidarbha by Oct. 30

New alliance: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (centre) is seen with Narayan Rane (left, in blazer) and Shiv Sena working president Uddhav Thackeray (right) at an event in June.

Mumbai: The festive season done with, attention is turning back to State politics and the much-awaited expansion of the State Cabinet. Political circles are abuzz with a possible cabinet expansion on or before October 31 by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, to mark three years of the State’s first BJP-led government.

Congress rebel and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane is expected to join the State Cabinet as part of its expansion, sources said. “He [Rane] has been promised a cabinet berth in the upcoming expansion, which will take place before October 30. This has been communicated to him,” a close Rane aide The Hindu .

Mr. Rane quit Congress in September after months of differences with the party high command, and launched the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha (MSP) as a step to joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The Shiv Sena, which is part of the ruling coalition in the State, has been silent on the inclusion of Mr. Rane in the cabinet, given their history: he was a Sena leader who became Chief Minister before falling out with party founder Balasaheb Thackeray and moving to the Congress.

Sena leaders have said they will comment only when the CM officially accepts Mr. Rane’s inclusion as a minister, but a pointer to Mr. Fadnavis’s intention could be read in what he said last week: “The expansion of the State Cabinet is on the cards after Diwali and Mr. Rane will be given appropriate respect as per his seniority.”

A BJP leader said, “The cabinet expansion has been talked about for a year, but when is for the CM to decide, and will depend on a green signal from the BJP’s central leadership. Names will be finalised at the Chief Minister’s Office level.”

BJP leaders unhappy

Chatter overheard in BJP circles indicates unhappiness among senior State leaders, who are said to have reservations in handing over important port folios such as revenue, Public Works Department (PWD) or housing to Mr. Rane. The general feeling is, sources said, this means taking away responsibility from senior BJP leaders. The revenue and PWD portfolios are presently held by Chandrakant Patil, while Prakash Mehta is Housing Minister. “An arrangement within the party also has to be made to pacify voices of discontent, if raised,” a senior BJP functionary said.

Besides Mr. Rane, the BJP may also introduce new and young faces in the cabinet to give them the exposure needed to contest the 2019 Assembly elections in the State. The party is likely to chose leaders from the drought-affected Marathwada and Vidarbha regions, where it is likely to concentrate its efforts. It is also rumoured that ministers who have landed in controversies or have little to show in results will be dropped.