Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after a month in office has finally allocated portfolios, leaving a lot of ministers unhappy. Just as in the apportionment of ministerial places among the three allies, the NCP has walked away now with the plum portfolios as well.
Clearly, Thackeray is in no position to say no to the NCP leader Sharad Pawar who virtually holds the remote in this government. Parting with Home, a ministry the Sena had publicly vowed to keep for itself, has upset his own party. But Thackeray is a puppet dancing to the tune of the NCP boss whom he must keep in good humour.
The blow to the Sena chief is also reflected in the relatively insignificant portfolio he has kept for himself. The cardboard Sena tiger lacks the experience to defend his own turf, with a number of his own ministers dissatisfied with their portfolios.
At least one minister had threatened to quit but seems to have been mollycoddled for the time being. A couple of Sena MLAs are so disgruntled for having been denied ministerships that they could become the nucleus of trouble for the CM.
Then again, the Congress complains of having received a step-motherly treatment in portfolio allocation. Barring Revenue, which will be cornered by former CM Ashok Chavan, the party has been given relatively unimportant ministries.
Congress MLAs accuse the senior leaders from Delhi of letting them down. All in all, a Sharad Pawar show with Thackeray playing a supportive role. Not a good augury for the tripartite power-sharing arrangement.
