Congress Leaders Disgruntled Over Maharashtra Cabinet Expansion, Meet Mallikarjun Kharge: Sources

A section of Congress leaders is disgruntled over the cabinet expansion in Maharashtra met Mallikarjun Kharge, say sources. The legislators in the meeting are told to have expressed their dissatisfaction regarding the same. Interestingly, former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan, and three-time MLA and daughter of former union minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Praniti Shinde, have been dropped from the cabinet expansion in the state.

Earlier, Mallikarjun Kharge had said that portfolio allocation would be discussed in a meeting between Congress’ Legislative Party leader and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Other Congress leaders who are dissatisfied over the recent cabinet expansion include, Sangram Thopate, Amin Patel and Rohidas Patil. The Congress MLAs said that the party high command was misled by some local leaders. Those who are loyal to Congress have not been given berth, the legislators added. 

Earlier, as many as 35 lawmakers including NCP’s Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena’s Aaditya Thackeray took oath for Cabinet and Minister of State ranks at the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai. Governor BS Koshyari will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers in Maharashtra’s Vidhan Bhavan precinct.

This is the first expansion of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's cabinet. In the recently concluded Maharashtra elections, the BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member assembly followed by the Shiv Sena (56). The NCP won 54 seats and the Congress had won 44 seats.