With Eknath Khadse’s exit, Chandrakant Patil becomes number two

Former minister Eknath Khadse’s exit has elevated another minister Chandrakant Patil’s rank to number two in the state cabinet after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. In absence of the CM, Patil has convened a meeting on Tuesday of all newly elected ministers to communicate with them on the government’s stand on various issues in the upcoming session of legislature.

Mr Patil, who is member of the legislative council, has emerged as the second-most powerful minister in the state cabinet. He has been given two important portfolios — Public Works Department and Revenue. Both the departments are mired in controversies and hence the CM wanted to bring some changes and transparency in the system.

Sources in the BJP said that Mr Patil was told to convene a meeting with the newly appointed ministers as the CM has gone to Russia for a business tour. “Only the CM has the power to call all the ministers for any instruction. But in the absence of the CM, Mr Patil has been given the authority to convene their meeting. Patil would make the government’s stand clear before the ministers, as the monsoon session of the legislature would start from July 18,” a close aide of the CM said.

The recent expansion of the state cabinet inducted 10 ministers from BJP, Shiv Sena and alliance parties, most of whom are inexperienced in the government functioning. They will be asked to answer the questions during the legislature and hence Patil was told to talk to them instead of the CM, the aide said.

Earlier, Khadse was holding the second position in the cabinet as being the senior most leader of the party. However, he had to quit owing corruption charges.