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Vilasrao Deshmukh will be sworn in as the 24th Chief Minister
of Maharashtra today along with his deputy, NCP leader RR
Patil.
They will be administered the oath by Governor Mohammed Fazal.
However, the jugglery for ministerships has already begun.
Eager MLAs lined up outside the Congress party office to push
their case for a berth in the new cabinet.
"Portfolio allocation will come later. We will just swear in
the CM, DCM," said Prabha Rau, State Congress Chief.
Cabinet race
Clearly both parties are struggling with distribution of
ministries and its the Congress, which faces the larger
problem having given away three to the NCP to retain the
chief minister's post.
The party now has only 18 ministries left.
Though the NCP has 24 ministries it has its own problems.
Accommodating two former DCMs Vijaysinh Mohite Patil and
Chhagan Bhujbal as mere ministers will prove difficult.
Opponents of Deshmukh like Govindrao Adik and Rohidas Patil
may be kept out of the Congress list.
The NCP is said to be favouring new faces and older leaders
like Padamsinh Patil may be at a disadvantage.
The crucial home portfolio earlier held by R R Patil could
change hands.
"We will see what happens after the swearing in," said RR
Patil, Maharashra Deputy CM, Designate.
Chance to lobby
Sources say that a portion of the cabinet will be sworn in on
November 3, a chance for aspirants to lobby some more.
"I have won from Bal Thackeray's constituency. I think they
should consider me for ministership," said Janardhan
Chandurkar, Congress MLA.
First the Congress and NCP were fighting over chief
ministership and now the conflict has turned inwards with
both parties grappling with too many aspirants for too few
posts.
News From
ndtv.com
(With PTI inputs)
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