A week on, mantris yet to get their portfolios
Mr Thackeray took oath as the chief minister of the MVA government on November 28 in a grand ceremony at Shivaji Park.
Mumbai: More than a week after the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was inaugurated, the six ministers who were sworn-in along with Mr Thackeray are yet to be allocated their portfolios. According to sources, differences in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress over key portfolios have resulted in the delay.
Mr Thackeray took oath as the chief minister of the MVA government on November 28 in a grand ceremony at Shivaji Park. Along with him, Shiv Sena leaders Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai, NCP leaders Jayant Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal and Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut were also sworn in as Cabinet ministers.
According to sources, differences between the NCP and the Congress over distribution of key portfolios have delayed the allocation of ministries. “There is a dispute over important portfolios. Due to the power struggle, there was no government in the state for a month. Now the administration has been stalled due to delay in distribution of portfolios,” said an official.
Sources in Sena, however, said they were ready with their allotted portfolios since they have not been insisting on any particular portfolio. The party is reportedly waiting for the Congress and NCP to resolve their differences.
The Winter Session of the legislature is beginning from December 16 in Nagpur. As per the convention, the allocation of portfolios has to be completed before the session begins.
Congress’ Maharashtra in-charge Mallikarjun Kharge, too, said that the decision on the allocation of portfolios will be taken by December 16, when the winter session of the state assembly begins in Nagpur.
Reacting to the impasse in the state, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and MLA Ashish Shelar criticised the government for failing to allocate portfolios to its ministers even after a week of being sworn in.
“The Maha Vikas Aghadi (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,” he said.