'Govt like an autorickshaw, won't last long': Athawale opines on Maha Vikas Aghadi

With expansion of Maharashtra cabinet on December 30, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday said that Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-Congress -NCP government in Maharashtra was akin to three-wheeler vehicle (auto-rickshaw), and that it would t last long. Earlier this month Athawale had advised Shiv Sena to break its alliance with Congress party in Maharashtra after Rahul Gandhi's 'Savarkar' remark. Athawale had earlier cited growing fissures in alliance with Shiv Sena coming out strongly in support of Veer Savarkar. 

Athwale furr took an apparent jibe over Shiv Sena over alleged rumours of friction within party over Minstererial post portfolios. Earlier on Wednesday, Maharashtra Minister Balasaheb Thorat said that many MLAs wanted to be included in Cabinet but re were less Ministerial berths in government. re were also rumours that Sunil Raut was triggered after his elder bror and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut was t seen at Cabinet expansion.

Exuding confidence over fallout of Sena-NCP-Cong government Athawale said, "Who kws how long government of Uddhav Thackeray will last. re is a fight for minister posts, for portfolio. re is a great deal of anger among those who have been denied minister's post."

"If NCP and Congress have mandate to sit in opposition y should t have come toger with Shiv Sena. government is like an auto-rickshaw that will t last long. I think re was a requirement of a four-wheeler," he said.

READ: Sena 'betrayed' BJP, public mandate in Maharashtra: Fadnavis

BJP slams Shiv Sena for its flip-flop over Aslam Shaikh

On Tuesday, BJP slammed Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for inducting Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh into Cabinet. Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya highlighted alleged double standards of Shiv Sena which had dubbed Shaikh as a 'traitor' in 2015 for demanding commutation of convict Yakub Memon’s death sentence. He contended that same individual had become a ‘patriot’ for Maha Vikas Aghadi government. 

READ: Maharashtra's Congress ministers in big tug-of-war over portfolios, NCP dirs: Sources

Maharashtra cabinet expansion

Winter session of Maharashtra Assembly was held from December 16 to December 21 in Nagpur. Opposition has slammed delay, saying t many issues were debated and resolved in Nagpur Assembly. Maharashtra can have a maximum of 43 ministers. size of council of ministers cant exceed 15 per cent of total number of MLAs, which is 288 in state.

Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as chief minister of Maharashtra on vember 28 along with six ministers — two each from alliance partners Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress. 

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(With Inputs from ANI)