MUMBAI: Shiv Sena, led by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, is set to collect affidavits from its newly sworn-in ministers, confirming their agreement to step down after two and a half years to make space for other potential contenders. Minister Shamburaj Desai explained that these affidavits would allow Shinde to officially remove ministers if necessary. Shinde has introduced a “perform or perish” policy, stating that ministers who deliver results will retain their positions. A close aide of Shinde remarked, “The Shiv Sena MLAs lack both ideology and loyalty to Eknath Shinde—what they seek is power. We must distribute power fairly among them.” Three Sena MLAs—Deepak Kesarkar, Abdul Sattar, and Tanaji Sawant—were dropped after requests from the BJP and CM Devendra Fadnavis, leading to their discontent. Interestingly, despite multiple complaints against Sanjay Rathod, another minister, he was retained. Sources suggest this was due to his close friendship with Fadnavis.
A source revealed, “When Rathod was caught in a controversy during the MVA government, he faced criticism from the BJP women’s wing. However, Fadnavis, who was in opposition at the time, showed a more lenient stance toward him
Kesarkar, who chose to visit Shirdi rather than attend the Nagpur winter session and swearing-in ceremony, seemed to accept the situation calmly. He remarked, “Some things happen for the best. I had the opportunity to serve as a minister twice, and now I will focus on working for the region.” Shinde is expected to assign him new responsibilities and a party position. Sattar and Sawant, the other two ministers dropped, did not respond to calls for comment. Sattar faced allegations of high-handedness during his tenure, resulting in multiple complaints to Shinde and the BJP. Sawant, who managed the health department, faced criticism for not following proper tendering procedures and opposing all IAS officers he worked with. This led Shinde and Fadnavis to appoint health secretary Milind Mhaiskar to oversee the department with a firm approach. Sattar’s controversial statements also caused embarrassment for the government. Several Shiv Sena MLAs left out of the new cabinet have expressed their dissatisfaction. Narendra Bhondekar from Bhandara resigned from his party posts, though he retained his MLA position. Prakash Surve, the MLA from Magathane, stated that if he had been given a ministerial position, he would have given his best.
Shinde has retained several of his trusted aides, including former ministers Dada Bhuse (Malegaon), Uday Samant (Ratnagiri), Shambhuraj Desai (Patan), and Gulabrao Patil (Jalgaon). Uday Samant, who celebrated his new post with a large gathering in Ratnagiri, pledged to work on resolving the anger of MLAs who were left out. Bharat Gogavale, another minister, noted that he had to wait for his turn to become a minister and urged others to do the same.
