Efforts on pacify leaders upset over exclusion from Maharashtra cabinet says Minister Samant

Nagpur, Dec 17 (PTI) Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant on Tuesday said efforts are underway to placate party leaders who are upset over their exclusion from the state cabinet.
    Talking to reporters here, Samant admitted there may be some unhappiness among party legislators because of the denial of ministerial berths.
    Thirty-nine legislators from Mahayuti allies, the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, were sworn in the first cabinet expansion of the Devendra Fadnavis-led government on December 15. Ten ministers in the previous Mahayuti government were dropped, while 16 new faces were inducted into the cabinet.
    While the BJP secured 19 ministerial berths, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party got 11 and 9 berths, respectively.
    Samant said, "We work as a family under Eknath Shinde. There could be unhappiness if someone does not get a place in the cabinet. It is the responsibility of those who have become ministers to address the unhappiness. We are working on it extensively (to address it)."
    Be it Shiv Sena leaders Tanaji Sawant or Vijay Shivtare, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde will pacify them, Samant said about some party leaders being upset over their exclusion from the state cabinet.
    "If we don't do good work in two or three months, Shinde, who made us minister, will take back our ministerial berth," he said.
    Samant said it was not possible to accommodate everyone, as the Shiv Sena has only 12 positions in the state cabinet.
    He also said portfolios are expected to be allocated soon.
    Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Shivtare had expressed disappointment at being ignored in the first cabinet expansion of the Fadnavis-led government.
    A miffed Shivtare said he wouldn't take up a ministerial post even if offered after two and half years.
    Another cabinet aspirant, Shiv Sena' MLA from Bhandara, Narendra Bhondekar, quit all party posts — deputy leader and coordinator for eastern Vidarbha — after being overlooked for ministerial position.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)