In the shadows, a second cabinet in Maharashtra

Months after Shiv Sena’s leader in the Opposition Narayan Rane announced the idea, the party and its ally, the BJP, finally agreed on a list of who’s who in the shadow Cabinet — a first in Maharashtra’s Opposition politics.

After all that delay, the alliance still wants time to decide five more names.

Based on his experience with housing issues, first on the list is Sena’s Dattaji Nalawade for housing, slum development, housing repair and reconstruction — a critical department in the context of the questions thrown up by the state’s ongoing demolition drive on illegal slums and constructions. BJP’s Raj Purohit got the home and environment ministries.

Rane will head this shadow group, that will school partymen to ask sharp, embarrassing questions in the State Assembly sessions.

‘‘We are planning an interactive website for the shadow cabinet’s direct communication with the public,’’ Rane told media. A workshop to teach the basics of this Cabinet’s functioning is planned for February 25-26 in Mumbai. ‘‘All will be Cabinet-level ministers, all equal,’’ said Munde.

Formed on the lines of shadow cabinets in the UK and Australia to act as effective Opposition watchdogs, Rane and BJP’s senior leader Gopinath Munde will probe the overall working of each department.

Portfolios have been primarily decided on the basis of past experience of the MLAs during the SS-BJP combine’s former days in power.