NCP initiates reshuffle talks, Congress wants RR Patil out of Home Ministry

MUMBAI: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has started an internal discussion about a possible reshuffle in the Maharashtra government, with state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar having a meeting with NCP chief Sharad Pawar in New Delhi last week to discuss the changes, especially in the NCP.

There are quite a few names doing the rounds for the candidate of home minister, with the front-runners being Maharashtra Assembly speaker Dilip Walse-Patil, tribal development minister Babanrao Pachpute, rural development minister Jayant Patil and water resources minister Sunil Tatkare, said some NCP officials who didn’t wish to be named.

If Walse-Patil makes it to the Cabinet, the party might ask one of these ministers or even the present home minister RR Patil to take over as the speaker of the assembly, said the officials. “Since Mumbai Police Commissioner was transferred because of pressure from the NCP, the Congress now wants NCP to reciprocate by removing its home minister. But Patil may remain in the government and may be given a low profile ministry,” said the officials.

It is widely believed that Patil’s replacement is not finalised yet and is being discussed by the party bosses. NCP is facing heat from opposition parties and media to remove Patil from the home ministry after the Azad Maidan violence and subsequent transfer of Mumbai Police chief Arup Patnaik.

The Congress-NCP government will complete three years in office this October , but with elections only 20 months away, both parties are planning major reshuffle in the portfolios. It is understood that the party might include late Vilasrao Deshmukh’s son Amit Deshmukh as an MoS in the government.