Uddhav Thackeray defers reshuffle after hearing MLAs

Mumbai: Despite much talk about a Cabinet reshuffle by Shiv Sena, party chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday did not take any such decision. Instead, he gave patient hearing to his party MLAs and hinted that a decision would be taken at the right time. In the wake of bickering among the Sena MLAs and ministers, it was expected that the party chief would take some decision regarding the reshuffle.

A senior Sena leader said on condition of anonymity that, contrary to media reports, the meeting was held in a very healthy atmosphere. “Uddhavji said that he would take a decision at the right time. He gave a patient hearing to all MLAs. There was no animosity among the leaders. The meeting went on very well,” the leader said.

Mr Thackeray heard the MLAs separately, asking the ministers to sit in another room. This helped the MLAs to speak freely and openly. Later, he heard the ministers’ views. But he did not make any comment, sources said.  

Differences between the MLAs and the ministers had come to the fore in the first week of the ongoing budget session of the legislature. The MLAs had openly expressed their resentment about ministers for not performing their duties and works and not supporting the MLAs. The MLAs had met Mr Thackeray and expressed their views to him after which the meeting that held on Thursday was convened.

Sources in the Sena said that it is not the right time to make any changes in the Cabinet, but Mr Thackeray had been reviewing performances of all the ministers and MLAs. There were a few complaints about couple of senior ministers from the MLAs. The MLAs also expressed their grouse that four Sena ministers — Subhash Desai, Diwakar Raote, Deepak Sawant and Ramdas Kadam — were not directly elected by the public.