The instability facing the BJP Government in Maharashtra ended on Thursday as the Shiv Sena formally announced its decision to join the Devendra Fadnavis dispensation ahead of the State Cabinet expansion scheduled for Friday.
On a day when the Bombay High Court dismissed a bunch of PIls challenging the “Constitutional validity” of the Devendra Fadnavis Government on the ground that it had no jurisdiction to interfere with the Assembly Speaker’s ruling, the ruling BJP won back the confidence of its erstwhile saffron ally, Shiv Sena.
Though the Shiv Sena’s decision to join the BJP Government was very much on cards, Thursday’s development put paid to any possible last-minute twists and turns that the two saffron alliance partners gotten used to during the recent months when their relations had come under considerable strain.
With the Sena’s deciding to join the BJP Government, the Devendra Fadnavis dispensation sits pretty in terms of its stability. The BJP has strength of 121 in the 287-member Assembly, while it is being supported by its pre-poll ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) which has one MlA. After the Sena (having 63 MlAs) becomes a part of the new Government, the BJP-led front will have a total strength of 185 in the current 287-member House. (The strength of the otherwise 288-member Assembly has come down by one owing to the recent death of a BJP MlA).
Addressing a joint news conference with senior Shiv Sena leaders, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that as part of the negotiations that took place during the past one week, the BJP had agreed to give 12 Ministries, including five Cabinet ranked ones, to the Sena.
“At Friday’s swearing-in ceremony, as many as 10 Sena Ministers (out of the 12) would take oath of office. From the BJP side, I plan to induct eight to 10 Ministers into my Cabinet.
Though the BJP has decided in a principle to accommodate our pre-poll allies in the Government, we will take a call tonight as to whether Ministers belonging to our allies will be sworn into office tomorrow or at a subsequent date,” the Chief Minister said.Dwelling upon the reasons behind the BJP’s decision to share power with the Sena, Fadnavis said: “It has been the desire of the workers and elected representatives of both the BJP and the Sena and also the people of Maharashtra that both the parties should come together once again to rule the State. We have decided to come together to honour the desire of the people as well the cadres in both the parties”.
“Another reason that has prompted the BJP and the Sena to share power in the State is the fact that the mandate that both the parties got from the people was against the previous ruling Congress and the NCP. We are respecting the mandate of the people...... We were together for 25 years and we will continue to be together in this Government and even later,” Fadnavis added.
“During the past one week, we have discussed all issues that would help the two parties run the State Government effectively but also contest the forthcoming municipal and Zilla Parishad elections together in the State as an alliance. It is in this contest we have decided to set up a joint co-ordination committee comprising senior leaders from both the parties,” the Chief Minister said.
Echoing the sentiments expressed by Fadnavis, senior Sena leader Subash Desai said: “Both the Sena and the BJP have decided to join hands to give a stable Government to the State. The decision taken by the two parties to forge a post-poll alliance between them is the result of talks between Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Minister Deveder Fadnavis. We have decided to come together to respect the desire and mandate of the people in the State. Both the parties will strive hard to provide a people-friendly and effective Government to the State”.
At least 20 Ministers, including 10 Shiv Sena Ministers, will be sworn into office at a ceremony to be held in the courtyard of Vidhan Bhavan on Friday morning.
Subhash Desai, Eknath Shinde, Ramdas Kadam, Diwakrao Raote, Deepak Sawant and Neelam Gorhe will be among Cabinet Ministers who will join the new Government. While the four are certain to make it to the Cabinet, it will be a toss-up between Sawant and Gorhe for the fifth Cabinet ranked slot.
The five Sena Ministers of State who will in all likelihood be sworn office are: Deepak Kesarkar, Vijay Shivtare, Ravind Waikar, Sanjay Rathod and Rajesh Kshirsagar. In the portfolio allocations to be made later on Friday, Sena’s Cabinet Ministers will get portfolios other than the crucial Home, Urban Development, Finance and Revenue. Similarly, the BJP has decided not to give the Deputy Chief Minister’s post to the Shiv Sena.