Devendra Fadnavis tries to reassure MLAs after concerns over the Ministerial berths

Mumbai: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday tried to reassure BJP legislators concerned about their political prospects after the sudden induction of 9 NCP MLAs, including deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, as ministers.

A section of BJP has been miffed since the teaming up of the party with the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena to form a government. There are concerns on the ministerial berths the party would get during the next expansion and impact of MLAs who won against NCP candidates in the last election. There are concerns NCP may be handed over several such constituencies in next year's polls.

BJP leaders eyeing NCP seats are also upset. Kolhapur district BJP chief Samarjeetsingh Ghatge said a day ago that he would contest the polls in Kagal. NCP's Hasan Mushrif, recently made minister, is the Kagal MLA now.


BJP's OBC leader Pankaja Munde, meanwhile, hinted that the state BJP was 'compromising on principles.' "We are now seeing different experiments in politics. We hear Sharad Pawar's NCP is not there anymore; we hear Bal Thackeray's Sena is not there. I hope workers like us would not see a day when Deen Dayal Upadhaya and Vajpayee's party is not there anymore," Munde said.

Fadnavis when asked about Munde admitted that the latter may have concerns over NCP entry into government. "Since NCP has joined us, and because there are many against NCP in their constituencies, there are concerns. This decision will not be acceptable to many in our party or NCP in a day or two... Since Pankaja is BJP's national secretary and a senior leader, the party's senior leadership will talk to her," Fadnavis said.