FPJ Edit: Teething problems?

FPJ Edit: Teething problems?

EditorialUpdated: Wednesday, January 01, 2020, 09:36 PM IST
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Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray |

The expansion of the Uddhav Thackeray Ministry on Tuesday has left quite a few Sainiks unhappy. Exclusion of senior leaders of the Sena, particularly those who were ministers in the previous BJP-Sena government, has caused anger. What has aggravated the grievance all the more is the inclusion in the ministry of three independent MLAs who joined the Shiv Sena after the election. That with the new tie-up with the NCP and the Congress, the dependence on the newly-inducted Independents into the Sena’s legislative group was no longer necessary, ought to have given the chief minister some elbow room to accommodate senior party colleagues. Given that not everyone in the Sena was happy with the way the pre-poll alliance with the BJP was betrayed, given that the BJP is already on the lookout for any chinks in the three-party ruling alliance, Thackeray needs to constantly look over his shoulder. Such being the bitterness between the former allies-turned-foes, the chief minister cannot be cavalier in dealing with his MLAs. Already a party MP has publicly protested the inclusion of an MLA from Vidharbha at the cost of an old loyalist. Besides, the Sena mouthpiece, Saamna, in a report on Thursday took note of the resentment in the party at the exclusion of senior leaders. It is notable that Sanjay Raut, who is the editor of the Sena paper, could not get his own brother a berth in the ministry. But, Aditya Thackeray, son of the CM , did. It would have further made the senior leaders left out in the cold angry. Uddhav cannot lower his guard given the way he stitched up his new alliance. The BJP is waiting in the wings, ready to pay him back in his own coin.

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