Pimpri Chinchwad Loses Ministerial Axe; Madhuri Misal Gets MoS, Chandrakant Patil Remains as Minister
Finally, receiving a break after 33 long years, Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, witnessed the cabinet expansion on Sunday much to the expectations. This event took place ten days after Devendra Fadnavis was administered the oath of the Chief Minister and Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde as his ministers in Mumbai. Out of them 39 were Oath taken during the event, 33 of Cabinet Ministers and six were Ministers of state.
Everything about the induction said 19 new-comers, most of whom have never been to the ministerial table. Chandrakant Patil and Madhuri Misal got two ministerial posts for Pune city whereas neighboring Pimpri Chinchwad that waited for 20 years have not been accorded any place.
In the divorce of powers, the BJP demanded the highest number of minister posts, 19, the second place was given to Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena with 11 and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with 9.
The Congress won 44 of the assembly’s 70 seats and formed the government 13 days after assuming the assembly election results were out; the Deputy Chief Ministers 10 days later and the further cabinet expansion soon after. Pune had expected at least six ministerial position, two of them for Pune city, one for Pimpri Chinchwad and three for the district. However, only four posts were allocated: The other are Deputy CM Ajit Pawar (Baramati), Chandrakart Pathil and Madhuri Misal (Pune City) and Datta Bharane (Indapur). Pimpri Chinchwad was completely left out possibly because it has now become an industrial city.
Out of 21 constituencies in the district, only Bapu Pathare of NCP from Vadgaon Sheri and Babaji kale of Shiv Sena UBT from Khed-Alandi are not with the Mahayuti while all remaining 19 are with the Mahayuti alliance. Sharad Sonawane, independent MLA from Junnar, has also sided with Eknath Shinde’s faction of Shiv Sena and taken 18 MLAs with him to the ruling camp. Despite what ought to at least herald six appointments from the district, this was not realized.
Political Dynamics
This is the second term for the Kothrud MLA Chandrakant Patil, one of the most eminent BJP politicians, as a minister. Madhuri Misal, a four term MLA at Parvati constituency, was appointed as a Minister of State. Her experienced gave her the privilege of being among the top earners within the city. Other BJP leaders who were contenders include, Rahul Kul from Daund and Mahesh Landge and Anna Bansode for Pimpri Chinchwad. Apprehension that the ruling party has nominated Kamble from the Cantonment constituency to redress representation imbalance was not an outcome.
Ajit Pawar had his place in the government as Deputy CM and he belonged to the NCP(AP) faction but since this group got fewer ministerial berths in conformity with the formula of power-sharing on the basis of number of MLAs, some of its members got cabinet portfolio only. As a result, apart from the CM from Indapur, Datta Bharne was the only NCP member inducted in the cabinet.
Likewise, Shinde’s Shiv Sena also had limitation of doing so. The district has two MLAs, one of whom independent belongs to the faction. A Former minister of state, Vijay Shivtare from the Purandar Constituency was expecting an opportunity of a ministerial post but which he did not make the cut.
Proven Leaders: Madhuri Misal & Chandrakant Patil
Local political leaders of the BJP during early stages of the 2024 assembly elections resisted the party’s choice for Madhuri Misal for the Parvati seat. But she had the support of senior leaders, and she repaid that trust by holding the seat. She has been given ministerial appointment after she was called by the senior leaders of BJP.
Mr K Chandrakant Patil who earlier served as minister of state ministries of revenue, public works, cooperation, marketing and textiles, relief and rehabilitation, agriculture, horticulture etc in government of Maharashtra during 2014-2019 is an MLA of Kothrud assembly constituency. He also led the Maratha Reservation sub-committee & acted as the Leader, Legislative Council between 2016-2019. The profile of the political project of the state he has formed constating: Member of Legislative Council from Pune Graduates in 2008, Elected as MLA from Kothrud in 2019 and again in 2024.
Women in Leadership
Among the newly inducted ministers, four are women: Ujjawal ji Pankaja Munde from BJP, Madhuri Misal, Meghna Bordikar from BJP, and Aditi Tatkare from NCP. Munde and Tatkare took oath as cabinet ministers while Bordikar and Misal breathed oath as Ministers of state.
Also Read: BJP-Congress Face-Off: Constitution Debate Takes Center Stage in Lok Sabha Today
+ There are no comments
Add yours