Mumbai: Though the Centre has cleared the proposal for state cabinet expansion, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high-command's suggestion to drop five tainted Shiv Sena ministers is learnt to have put Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in a dilemma which is delaying the cabinet expansion, sources close to development have said.
The BJP has its own internal system for assessment of ministers and people's representatives and the party high-command regularly reviews the feedback reports for the minister's and people's representatives' performance and rewards like inclusion in cabinet come solely based on such reports.
Not an easy decision for Eknath Shinde
In the case of Maharashtra, the feedback reports about the five ministers has been very bad and hence, the BJP high command wants them dropped. However, those are the ministers who supported Shinde during his rebellion which makes the decision difficult for CM Eknath Shinde to drop them. According to sources, Health Minister Tanaji Sawant, Agriculture Minister Abdul Sattar, Water Supply Minister Gulabrao Patil, EGS Minister Sandipan Bhumre and FDA minister Sanjay Rathod are the five ministers whose reports are not favourable.
Where they went wrong
Sawant hasn't been able to show any distinct work during his tenure, but has appointed his personal assistant in every district, the feedback report is learnt to have said. Similarly, Sattar has been criticized for failure in reaching out to farmers, which is said to have been one of the major reasons for the resentment among farmers in Maharashtra. Patil too has been accused of underperformance, while Bhumre and Rathod have been accused of corruption. Rathor's alleged involvement in the Puja Chavan case too is adversely affecting the government, the report is learnt to have said.
However, dropping these ministers after being in the cabinet for 11 months pose a major challenge for CM Shinde as they were his close confidants during the rebellion. It is interesting to note that four of them were his cabinet colleagues even during the MVA rule. The fear of sending out a wrong message by dropping them has been preventing Shinde from taking the extreme decision, sources have said.
