For Prithviraj Chavan,a balancing act ahead

He said Chavan would have to provide social and regional balance while selecting his team. “Chavan would also face the challenge of streamlining the administrative machinery… Since most babus are nonchalant,he will have to take some tough action.”

He said stringent action could be taken against babus given Chavan’s proximity to the Prime Minister. “The question is how far he would go to discipline the babus.”

The Ashok Chavan government had 38 ministers,of which 12 were from Western Maharashtra,three each from Sangli (Jayant Patil,Patangrao Kadam,RR Patil),Pune (Ajit Pawar,Ramesh Bagwe,Harshawardhan Patil) and Ahmednagar (Balasaheb Thorat,Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil,Babanrao Pachpute). Seven each were from Vidarbha and Marathwada regions,four from north Maharashtra,three from Konkan and five from Mumbai region.

Party leaders like Mumbai president Kripashankar Singh are facing litigation for alleged frauds. The former ministers who could be axed include Shivajirao Moghe from Vidarbha. In a bid to attract attention,a jittery Moghe has already displayed a hoarding opposite the Congress office at Nariman Point,congratulating Chavan. The reason for Moghe’s anxiety is that Congressmen from Vidarbha like Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Manikrao Thakre and Vasant Purke are keen on entering the cabinet,besides Nitin Raut who wants to be retained.

Likewise,Subhash Zanak — an aide of Ashok Chavan — is on tenterhooks. Former MoS Ramesh Bagwe (from Pune) is equally uncertain of being retained if number of ministers from western Maharashtra is reduced.

Chandrakant Handore,a close aide of Union Minister Gurudas Kamat is lobbying for a berth,but if he is accommodated,former MoS Varsha Gaikwad (daughter of Mumbai South Central MP Eknath Gaikwad) would have to be dropped as both are from Mumbai and are Dalits. Former minister Naseem Khan is expected to be retained,but Congressmen like Hussain Dalwai are waiting in the wings. Both are Muslims and are from Mumbai.