The Bharatiya Janata Party’s high command in a recent meeting with Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde expressed its displeasure over the working styles and performances of a few Shiv Sena ministers, sources told News18 on Monday. This, they added, has increased tensions in Shinde’s camp and also the distance between the allies. BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, however, denied these reports.
According to the sources, the recent meeting between union home minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah, CM Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis was regarding cabinet expansion. But Shah expressed his displeasure over the working style and poor performance of five ministers of the Maharashtra cabinet. The sources said agriculture minister Abdul Sattar, health minister Tanaji Sawant, water supply minister Gulabrao Patil, horticulture minister Sandipan Bhumre who is also incharge of the Employment Guarantee Scheme, and food and drug administration minister Sanjay Rathod are the ones under the scanner. With the Lok Sabha elections on the horizon, the BJP is looking to win at least 45 seats from the state, but it has received reports that these five ministers won’t be able to draw voters as their performance is not up to the mark, the sources added.
Sattar’s controversial statement regarding Supriya Sule had drawn a lot of criticism towards the Shinde-Fadnavis government. His name also emerged in connection with the land purchase case where the Bombay High Court also passed some strict remarks. The BJP’s top leadership is of the opinion that if the image of this government has to be improved, then it has to start from the rural areas, where Sattar has fallen short, said sources.
According to reports, there is anger against guardian minister of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Sandipan Bhumre in his own constituency regarding his working style. BJP MLA from Tuljapur, Ranajagjitsinha Patil, had submitted a written complaint to the health department against minister Tanaji Sawant for not distributing the district planning committee funds equally in all districts. In Jalgaon district, there is anger against guardian minister Gulabrao Patil for being inactive related to local issues. Many villages in the water supply minister’s district are facing water scarcity. Sanjay Rathod stepped down as minister under the Maha Vikas Aghadi government as his name was linked to the suicide case of a young woman, but he got a cabinet berth after joining hands with Shinde. However, the state pharmacists’ organisation complained to the Maharashtra CM about various decisions of the minister.
Shinde being the chief minister is in a quandary about how to handle these ministers as they had supported him during his rebellion against the then Shiv Sena chief and CM Uddhav Thackeray, said sources. One section in the Shinde camp is of the opinion that the BJP is putting pressure to change these ministers which will help it draw more voters during the Lok Sabha elections, they added.
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