On the eve of Cabinet expansion at the Centre, the Shiv Sena on Saturday played hardball over the deal it gets in Maharashtra amid reports emerging from its camp that it was even contemplating boycotting the swearing-in ceremony.
Having initially recommended its Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai’s name for a ministerial berth at the Centre, the party changed tack later in the day and kept the decision on hold. This, after its lone Minister in the Modi Cabinet, Anant Geete failed to meet the Prime Minister. Sources said he was subsequently called back to Mumbai.
The Shiv Sena has kept its option open on the issue of joining the BJP-led Government in Maharashtra, till Sunday afternoon, pending a formal word from the ruling BJP on its various demands.In a brief interaction with the media outside his residence at Bandra north-central Mumbai, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said, “The picture will become clear at the party legislators’ meeting to be held tomorrow”.
The Sena has convened its legislature party meeting at 4 pm on Sunday to formalise its stand on whether or not join the BJP-led Government in the State. The meeting will be held either at the Sena Bhavan or Matoshri.Ahead of Geete’s proposed meeting with the Prime Minister, the Shiv Sena had conveyed to the BJP’s Central leadership in no uncertain terms that Desai would not take oath of office in Sunday’s ceremony, if its erstwhile saffron ally did not either settle the Sena’s various demands or make its stand clear on the issue, prior to Cabinet expansion.
There is considerable unease in the Sena camp over the lack of positive response from the BJP over its pre-conditions to join the BJP-led Government in the State. The Sena is finding it difficult to reconcile with the situation, especially after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis categorically stated on Wednesday that he had no plans to induct any Sena Minister into his Cabinet till he proves his majority on the floor of the Assembly on November 12.
The Sena, which had demanded that it be given 10 Ministries—including at least four ranked ones — and deputy Chief Minister’s post in lieu of its support to the BJP-led Government in the State, reviewed its position on Saturday and conveyed to the new ruling party that it be given the crucial Home portfolio in place of the DCM’s post and one extra Ministry.
In essence, the Sena wanted the BJP to allocate to it at least five Cabinet Ministers and six Ministers of State in the new Government. However, the BJP was in no to entertain the Sena.
The Sena, which had earlier set November 8 as deadline for the BJP to decide on its various demands, did not receive any formal word from the BJP all through Saturday. However, with an objective to keep its channels open for power-sharing negotiations with the BJP’s Central leadership, the Sena responded to the PM’s reported request for naming two of its members for inclusion in the Union Cabinet ahead of Sunday’s expansion and nominated Anil Desai.
However, the Sena made it clear to the PMO that Sena’s Suresh Prabhu, whom the Prime Minister is keen to induct into his Cabinet, could not be counted as a member from the Sena quota, since he is joining the Union Cabinet at the personal behest of Modi.Though it wanted to nominate one more member for inclusion in the Union Cabinet, the Sena had not nominated anyone other than Desai for induction in the Modi Cabinet.
With no word from the BJP, the Sena linked its formula for sharing power with the BJP in Maharashtra with the Union Cabinet expansion and said that Desai would not join the Union Cabinet if the saffron ally did not agree to give a “fair” deal to it vis-a-vis sharing of ministerial berths in the State.
Sources said that the Sena, which appeared to be end of its tether, was not totally averse to sitting in the Opposition instead of being at the “mercy” of the BJP.