Not invited to oathtaking while even BJP netas were invited, CM Uddhav's ally warns MVA

Swabhimani Paksha chief Raju Shetti on Monday hit out at the Maha Vikas Aghadi government for ignoring smaller parties of the alliance for the Cabinet expansion ceremony. He contended that parties such as the Swabhimani Paksha extended support to the Sena, NCP, and Congress just to keep BJP out of power. He indirectly hinted that even the BJP whose governments had instituted cases against leaders of the ruling alliance was invited to the oath ceremony.  

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'We have been ignored' 

Thereafter, he warned the government that it would have to pay a price for this insult. Shetti’s party exited the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in 2017 and joined the opposition ranks. However, he could not retain the Hatkanangale seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.  

Raju Shetti said, “Having total faith in the Constitution, democracy, and secularism, Maharashtra’s smaller parties took a decision to support the Maha Vikas Aghadi to keep the opportunistic and divisive BJP out of power. The Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders forgot about the very same parties at the time of the Cabinet expansion ceremony. Frankly, the ones who unleashed the ED, CBI, Income Tax against these leaders were honourably invited. But, the ones who propelled them on to the seat of power have been ignored. They will have to pay a price for this in the future for sure.”  

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Maharashtra cabinet expansion

A total of 12 Shiv Sena, 14 NCP, and 10 Congress MLAs were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday. This includes Ajit Pawar, Jitendra Awhad, spokesperson Nawab Malik, senior legislator Hasan Mushrif, newly-elected MLA Dhananjay Munde and Abdul Sattar and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. Additionally, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya has been inducted as a Minister. 

The disgruntlement is not restricted just to the smaller parties. A section of the Maharashtra Congress leadership is unhappy with the choice of the ministers as per sources. Moreover, Sena MP Sanjay Raut's brother Sunil Raut has publicly voiced his disappointment on not featuring in the Cabinet. 

(With ANI inputs)

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