Contrary to popular belief, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is reportedly content with the NCP's sudden entry into the grand alliance. While some of his party colleagues may be disgruntled about the diminishing share of power, sources close to Shinde claim that he sees this development as a blessing in disguise. It provides him with a better way to evade the high expectations of his party colleagues.
Last year, when preparations were underway for Shinde's coup, an agreement was reached with the BJP leadership. If Shinde could convince one-third of the Shiv Sena MLAs to join him, he would be appointed Deputy Chief Minister under Devendra Fadnavis. If he managed to secure a two-thirds majority, he would become the Chief Minister. The resentment against then-CM Uddhav Thackeray was so strong that the two-thirds majority easily came along with Shinde. However, over the past year, while running the government, he started experiencing the downside of this adventure. Each of the 50 individuals who joined him began considering themselves as kingmakers, leading to escalated expectations that Shinde struggled to fulfill.
Sources close to Shinde now reveal that it is only after the NCP joined the government that he has been able to effectively communicate to his associates the need to lower their expectations.
The NCP's entry into the alliance sparked a wave of resentment. Bharat Gogawale, the party MLA from Mahad, who expected a ministerial position after being appointed party whip, was disappointed when the Supreme Court struck down his appointment. He was further frustrated to see Aditi, the daughter of his political rival Sunil Tatkare, being inducted into the cabinet while he received no such appointment. A similar situation arose with Bachchu Kadu from Amarawati. Although Kadu was appointed Chairman of a new corporation for the disabled, an equivalent status to that of a Minister of State, he too expressed dissatisfaction with the NCP's entry into the government. However, Chief Minister Shinde has explained the necessity of the alliance and managed to address the disgruntlement, according to the sources.
When Shinde revolted and formed the government, there were only two ministers in his cabinet during the initial period - himself and his deputy, Devendra Fadnavis. Even when the cabinet was expanded two months later, only nine MLAs from each side were given ministerial positions. While Shinde kept talking about further expansion to pacify the MLAs who joined him, the influential force behind him insisted on performance and avoided further expansion. However, with the entry of a third partner in the alliance and growing discontent among the MLAs, it is expected that all avenues of power will be fully utilized. This means that in addition to ministerial positions, appointments to state-owned corporations and other institutions will also be divided, offering more opportunities for accommodation. This is seen as a relief for Shinde, according to the sources.
Nevertheless, it is unlikely that Shinde will be able to completely alleviate the disgruntlement within his party. Consequently, sources indicate that he has resorted to using emotive appeals when dealing with his party colleagues.