Mumbai: A week after the formation of the Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, portfolios to ministers who were sworn-in along with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray were yet to be allocated, prompting the opposition BJP to slam the ruling coalition for the delay.
BJP leader Ashish Shelar on Thursday criticised the MVA government led by Thackeray for failing to allocate portfolios to half a dozen ministers who took oath a week ago.
However, two of the new ministers said portfolios will be allocated in a day or two.
The Shiv Sena, the Congress and the NCP came together and formed the MVA government, which took office in November-end, over a month after the declaration of the assembly polls results on October 24.
Two legislators each from these three parties were inducted in the cabinet headed by Thackeray, who is also the Sena president. However, these ministers are yet to be allotted portfolios.
"The MVA made promises to Independent MLAs at the time of government formation, but eight days after the swearing-in ceremony, not a single ministerial portfolio has been allocated," Shelar said in a statement.
The former BJP minister claimed there was a "huge unrest" among legislators of the three main MVA alliance partners.
Thackeray was sworn-in as chief minister on November 28. Besides him, Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai (Sena), Jayant Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal (NCP), and Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut (Congress) also took oath.
A source said the allocation of portfolios to the six ministers is "expected soon".
A meeting of prominent Congress and NCP leaders took place in New Delhi earlier this week to discuss allocation of portfolios, according to sources.
"The meeting was attended by NCP's Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, and Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan and Nitin Raut. A discussion with the Shiv Sena will follow before taking a final decision," said a second source.
As per a formula chalked out by the MVA allies, the Sena, the senior-most partner, has been given 16 ministries, (including the CM's post), the NCP 15, including the deputy chief minister's post, and the Congress 12, the sources said.
The Congress has already got the assembly speaker's post.
According to constitutional norms, the state can have a 43-member council of ministers, which is 15 per cent of the total strength of the 288-member Assembly.
According to the sources, NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who rebelled and joined hands with the BJP briefly before returning to the party fold, is eyeing the deputy chief minister's post, a position he has held in the past.
However, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has already committed the post to Jayant Patil, a former finance minister, they said.
An expansion of the council of ministers is likely after the winter session of the state legislature, which will be held from December 16 to 21 in Nagpur, the sources said. Meanwhile, Thorat told reporters portfolio allocation will be done in two days.
"Talks are on to work out the portfolio allocation taking everyone along. A decision will be taken in two days," Thorat, who is also the state Congress president, said.
Patil, who is also Maharashtra NCP president, said the allocation of portfolios would be done in a day or two. Sena sources said leaders of the three main MVA constituents were holding discussions to finalise portfolio distribution and the exercise will be completed soon.
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