It is unprecedented. The Maharashtra State Legislature had its first sitting in Nagpur today where all the 41 ministers including the two deputy chief ministers, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar occupied the treasury benches without portfolios. By default, the chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis holds all the portfolios which are not delegated to any minister. That could also mean, he is holding all the portfolios.
If one skims only the surface, the tripartite alliance has formed a government, the Assembly convened, Rahul Narwekar elected as the speaker, thirty-nine ministers including six ministers of state sworn in and all is well. Sub-surface, however, there is a roiling with, again in an unprecedented manner, aspirants have been dismayed – they are not ministers. That’s a mirage.
Irony of ironies is the claim by chief minister that his is now a ministry with the largest number of OBCs and the chieftain of OBCs who was a foil to the Maratha activist Manoj Jarange has been left out. Bhujbal is seething with fury and has clearly asserted that “Yes, I am upset” but momentarily sought refuge by quoting from a Bollywood song, Jahan Nahin chaina, wahan nahi rehna (roughly meaning one should not live at a place where there is no peace).
In the midst of all this, there is a mystery. Why was a seat in the cabinet left vacant when the chief minister is spoilt for choice? It is not clear yet if it would fall in the quota of which party? Apparently, the BJP but is it a carrot for those who are upset and the most upset would fill the slot? There is also tentativeness about the ministers.
The Shiv Sena has told the picked ones from his party that they need not expect to last in the office for the full term. Eknath Shinde wants them to know that at best, their term may last only two-and-a-half years. The idea is to give an opportunity to other aspirants and keep them quiet because the clamour has been intense.
Diplomatically the chief minister has said that all ministers would have their “performance audited”; that is obvious. Ajit Pawar went further, dropping all pretense of diplomacy and the delicate nature of politics and asserted that his party’s ministers may even have “two-and-a-half months” term.
Had the Assembly not been convened today after the swearing-in in Mumbai, perhaps the cabinet itself would not have been formed. The tug of war between the three principal parties – Bharatiya Janata Party, the Shiv Sena (Shinde), and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) – for plum portfolios had been intense.
Normally, within hours of a minister or ministers being sworn-in, their portfolios are announced and they take office but not this time. The allocation of seats in the cabinet, including that of the two partners of the BJP needed to be vetted by the BJP headquarters, mostly by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The two partners do not seem to have much autonomy.
The administration of oath of office and secrecy to such a large contingent in Nagpur, the second capital, has a first to its credit. Only once was it in 1991 when Chhagan Bhujbal, now with NCP (AP), had split the Shiv Sena when a minister was sworn in. Two others were in the list and thereafter, the ceremonies were held in the Mumbai Raj Bhavan.
| 
