Mumbai: The portfolio allocation on Sunday reaffirmed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holds the key in the state government and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis calls the shot within the party. BJP has managed to get major departments that provide direct connections with the people and help control the state administration.
Besides home and finance — departments that give direct control over the administration through the police force and revenue system — the BJP has revenue, housing, power, and water resources departments. Against it, barring a few departments like urban development, industries and agriculture, Shinde camp has got a relatively insignificant share in the power pie.
The allocation has, on the other hand, proved Fadnavis to be the boss in the party’s state unit. Being directed by the party leadership to take oath as the deputy chief minister was seen as his demotion.
The BJP leaders from the Fadnavis camp within the state unit have been given key departments, while the senior leaders who were expecting their elevation with more important portfolios have got insignificant departments.
Chandrakant Patil and Sudhir Mungantiwar, who held prominent portfolios in the BJP-led government during 2014-19, have been allotted comparatively insignificant departments. Patil and Mungantiwar were reportedly vying for the revenue or home and were reportedly against Fadnavis keeping the two major departments.
One of these senior ministers reportedly told his fellow partymen that he was expecting a better department than he held last time.
Fadnavis, however, ensured that the leaders from his camps get plum berths. Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Girish Mahajan, Atul Save and Suresh Khade, considered close to Fadnavis, have been shouldered with key responsibilities.
Vikhe-Patil, known as an ‘outsider’ in the party, has been made revenue minister, an important department after home. Girish Mahajan has been made rural development and medical education minister along with sports and youth welfare minister. Atul Save (cooperation, OBC welfare) and Suresh Khade (labour) too have been given comparatively significant portfolios.
“Yes, it has been evident that Fadnavis had the last word in finalizing the departments held by his party colleagues. There was a general feeling that Fadnavis was cut to size after he was made to swear in as the deputy CM, but the allocation has again established that he still calls the shots in the party,” said a senior party leader.
Deputy CM Fadnavis said, “There are no differences between us and Shinde faction and allocation has been done amicably. The departments allocated to both sides are the final distribution, but we still can interchange a couple of departments if need be in the future.”
Mungantiwar said, “I don’t think forest or cultural affairs are insignificant departments. I would in fact get to work for environment conservation and to protest the cultural legacy of the state.”
Chief minister Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis have retained the departments which are in party share but to be allocated to the ministers to be inducted in the second allocation. One of the reasons for the delay in allocation was the deliberation on whether to keep these departments with the CM and Dy CM or the 18 newly inducted ministers.
Mumbai-based political analyst Hemant Desai said that the Shinde camp has got the chunk they deserved in the power. “After BJP made him CM unexpectedly, what the Shinde camp has got today as the share in power is what they deserve. It was apparent that the BJP will keep key departments with it. Fadnavis has once again proved that he calls the shots in the state unit. His competitors within the party have been given comparatively insignificant departments. With two key departments under his belt, he will enjoy more control within the party,” he said.
