Mumbai: In an interesting revelation, Shiv Sena MLA from Raigad, Bharat Gogawale, narrated anecdotes of desperation among several of his party colleagues for cabinet berths on Thursday. "Looking at the challenges that CM Eknath Shinde has to handle, I've backed off from the race," he said while addressing party workers in his constituency.
During the rebellion led by Eknath Shinde, where he took along 50 MLAs (40 Shiv Sena + 10 independent), almost all of them were aspiring for ministerial berths. Many were hoping for appointments with at least ministerial rank. Pacifying everyone was nearly impossible. However, the criteria for selecting those who were ultimately chosen as ministers still remains a mystery. Gogawale revealed some of the details at a public rally.
Gogawale: We understood the pressures on CM Shinde
While addressing party workers in his constituency, Gogawale also mentioned that due to the challenges faced by CM Shinde, he voluntarily withdrew from the race for a cabinet berth. He further unveiled some of the secrets behind how some of his colleagues provided amusing reasons to ensure their inclusion in the state cabinet.
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"When the CM was facing difficulties, I started contacting our colleagues. One of them mentioned that his wife would commit suicide if he wasn't made a minister. Another claimed that he would face the wrath of (union minister) Narayan Rane if he wasn't appointed a minister. Every MLA and their families were important to us. Therefore, the CM asked me to wait, and I remained patient," Gogawale shared with the audience.
Subsequently, we understood the pressures on CM Shinde and recognised his constraints, leading me to willingly withdraw my demands, he added.
However, Gogawale's candid revelations have now sparked speculation about which MLA's wife had issued a threat of suicide if he wasn't included in the cabinet.
