BJP clamours for reshuffle pie

Elaborating on the pending disputes and agenda for discussion with Thackeray, Munde said, 8220;mainly we will discuss performance of the alliance government, constitution of official committees and boards, massive debacle of the alliance in the mid-term polls and the Cabinet expansion programme declared by the Chief Minister.8221;

Replying to a question, Munde said despite differences with Joshi on major issues, there is noproposal before the BJP to stake claim for the Chief Minister8217;s post nor is there any threat to the alliance government. 8220;There is no such proposal before the BJP. As per the agreement reached between Sena and BJP, the CM will be from the former party,8221; Munde said.

Though Munde did not declare the action plan in case there is no positive outcome of the meeting with Thackeray, at least four BJP ministers confirmed that they are planning to boycott Saturday8217;s expansion programme announced by the Chief Minister.

Last week, at a high-level meeting held at the residence of Rural Development Minister Anna Dange, a section of the Cabinet ministers had pointed out that the Chief Minister was deliberately ignoring the proposals of the BJP, particularly on allocation of schools and release of funds from the Chief Minister8217;s Relief Fund. Secondly, they had also pointed out that the Ministers of State belonging to the BJP were being given step-motherly treatment by their respective Cabinet members of the ShivSena.

In fact, immediately after the meeting, the sentiments of the Cabinet members were communicated to the Chief Minister by Wahadane. However, as there was no response from Joshi, the BJP leaders have now decided to call on Thackeray to resolve the disputes.

This is for the first time since the formation of the alliance government on March 14 three years ago, that the BJP has taken a stand against the Chief Minister.

However, Joshi, who personally called on Governor P C Alexander today to brief him about the Cabinet expansion, said there was no discontent against him in any quarter 8212; either in the BJP or the Shiv Sena. 8220;I will declare the names of the new Cabinet members as well as the change in the portfolios on Thursday, while the Cabinet will be expanded on Saturday,8221; Joshi said.

While Joshi made it clear that there will be no fresh election for the post of the Speaker of the Assembly, thereby indicating that Speaker Dattaji Nalawade will not be inducted into the Cabinet, he declined tocomment if the controversial Sena leader and former Agriculture Minister Shashikant Sutar, who was indicted by the Puranik Committee and subsequently exonerated by the Dudhat Commission, will be inducted into the Cabinet or otherwise.

Meanwhile, according to a senior Shiv Sena leader, the Chief Minister is likely to drop at least four Cabinet ministers, five ministers of state, induct four new faces in the Cabinet rank, eight in the minister of state cadre and promote two ministers of state to the Cabinet rank.

8220;Joshi will drop non-performing ministers and against whom there are specific complaints from the party workers. In addition, those ministers, in whose assembly segments the nominees of the Sena-BJP received a set back in the mid-term polls, will also be dropped from the cabinet,8221; the sena leader pointed out.