A day before the Cabinet reshuffle at the Centre, the Shiv Sena, the BJP’s oldest ally, has expressed its discontent at not being kept in the loop.
A day before the Cabinet reshuffle at the Centre, the Shiv Sena, the BJP’s oldest ally, has expressed its discontent at not being kept in the loop.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said the BJP had not held any discussion with him on the Union Cabinet expansion and that his party would not stand at anybody’s doorstep with a begging bowl seeking favours. He said whatever the BJP plans to give Sena it should be given honourably.
The Cabinet will be expanded on Tuesday and the BJP is expected to induct members from all its allies. BJP president Amit Shah had called and met all the probables for induction into the Cabinet. As Mr Shah did not call any of the Sena MPs, it is seen as an indication that none from the Sena would be inducted. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is, therefore, likely to skip the swearing-in of the new ministers.
“People from various political parties are joining the Sena. I have been busy attending to them and thus have not got the time to discuss Cabinet expansion. One thing is clear, the Sena will not stand helplessly at anybody’s doors asking for anything,” Mr Thackeray told the media at Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar. “First it (the BJP) was offering us minister of state, then it said we will get a Cabinet berth. Whatever we get, we should get it with respect,” he added.
Mr Thackeray said getting ministerial berths was, to him, a secondary issue and that he would put forward his views if a discussion were to take place.
Referring to the Maharashtra Cabinet expansion, which chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has promised to hold before he begins his Russia tour early next week, Mr Thackeray said, “CM and I have only had superficial discussions. I will announce the intricacies once a detailed discussion happens.”
Meanwhile, sources in the BJP said Sena Rajya Sabha member Anil Desai was supposed to meet Mr Shah in Delhi but did not meet him. Sources added that recent outbursts by the Sena in its party mouthpiece, Saamana, and its parodies of top BJP leaders, have put the Sena out of favour with the BJP higher-ups. During the previous expansion of the Union Cabinet, the Shiv Sena had asked Mr Desai to come back from the Delhi airport as Sena MPs Anandrao Adsul and Chandrakant Khaire threatened to revolt.
