The expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet had to be put off on Thursday due to delay in approval of the list by the Congress party high command. The cabinet expansion would now take place on Friday morning, the communication of which was released by the Governor of the House.
Chavan, who arrived late in the evening after getting the list of party members to be inducted in the cabinet, had told on Wendesday that the swearing in would take place on Thursday since there was no difference of opinion between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, the two ruling partners in the state on the number of ministers to be inducted from each side.
Besides, he was expecting that the Congress list would be cleared by Wednesday evening. Chavan along with his deputy and nine ministers were already sworn in on November 11.
Chavan and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar directed the administration to provide immediate benefits to those farmers who have been affected by the untimely rains. They have also asked the law enforcement machinery to keep a close vigil on the law and order situation in the state.
A Congress aspirant and a former minister told Business Standard, “The chief minister had discussed the list with the party president Sonia Gandhi and later with the defence minister AK Antony who is also the Congress general secretary for Maharashtra. However, there was some questions raised by Sonia on names suggested by Chavan and thus the latter discussed with Antony. It was also decided to prepare a fresh list after his meeting with Antony last night and discuss it with Congress president’s political advisor Ahmad Patel this morning.”
Chavan had a tough time overhauling the Ashok Chavan-led cabinet, excluding and replacing some of the older ministers with newer faces, while keeping in consideration the regional balance.
The Congress leader said and added that he cannot simply reject the names of senior leaders such as former chief minister Narayan Rane, former ministers Patangrao Kadam, Harshvardhan Patil, Nasim Khan, Rajendra Darda, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Balasaheb Thorat.