Mumbai: NCP and Congress move to induct their own legislators in the Monday’s cabinet expansion have not gone down well with allies. The two parties junked their allies including Samajwadi Party, Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), Republican Party of India (Kawade group) and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS). Instead, NCP and Congress inducted their own legislators.
SSS founder Raju Shetti strongly criticised Congress and NCP for their neglect towards allies. “SSS made all efforts to keep BJP at bay. However, there was no invitation received for allies for today’s cabinet expansion. Ironically, those launched investigations through CBI, ED and Income Tax (without naming BJP), were invited for the expansion,” Shetty claimed.
Although RPI (Kawade group) chief Jogendra Kawade was present at the function, he was sidelined by NCP and Congress. Samajwadi MLA Abu Asim Azmi was reportedly told to be ready. However, he was not considered in the final list.
These parties recalled statment made by CM Thackeray that allies will be accommodated. They had expressed serious displeasure when Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena had together launched discussion to draft common minimum programme of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar had taken a serious note of it and later held talks with allies whose views were taken into account before finalisation of the common minimum programme.
Congress functionary told FPJ, “Allies will be appointed on government corporations and undertakings. They could not be considered for cabinet due to limited number of a ministerial berth.”
NCP minister said had the allies been given ministerial berth it would not been possible to consider elected members. “They will not be neglected but will be considered during an appointment on various government corporations,” he noted.
