๐Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expanded his cabinet on Sunday, with a total of 39 MLAs taking the oath of office. Among them, 33 have been appointed as cabinet ministers and 6 as ministers of state. This expansion has dramatically altered the composition of the Mahayuti government, with 16 new faces joining the cabinet, while 10 former ministers were excluded.
๐However, the move has not been without controversy. Narendra Bhondekar, an MLA from the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, has resigned from all party positions, expressing disappointment over his exclusion from the newly formed cabinet.
๐Bhondekar, who previously served as the Shiv Senaโs deputy leader and coordinator for the eastern Vidarbha districts, had been promised a cabinet berth by Shiv Sena leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
โSpeaking to reporters in Bhandara on Sunday, Bhondekar revealed that his aspiration to secure a cabinet post was driven by his desire to serve as the guardian minister for Bhandara district and contribute to its development. Bhondekar had won the Bhandara constituency by a decisive margin of over 38,000 votes in the November 20 state elections.
๐โI joined the Shiv Sena on the condition that I would be given a cabinet berth. Shinde had even promised me the same. When Shinde became chief minister in the previous government, I was an independent MLA and extended support to him,โ Bhondekar said, as quoted by PTI.
๐ฎHe also shared that his name had been considered for a ministerial role during the last cabinet expansion under the previous Mahayuti government. However, upon reviewing the list and realizing he had been omitted, Bhondekar made the decision to step down from all party positions.
๊ฆ"When I reviewed the cabinet list and realised I was omitted, I decided to step down from all positions in the party," he explained. Bhondekar had hoped to secure a cabinet post to become the guardian minister of Bhandara district. Now, he says, he will continue as an ordinary party worker.
๊งBhondekar also criticized the longstanding practice of appointing an outsider as the guardian minister for Bhandara, a situation he believes has hindered progress on local issues. โI no longer have the mindset to hold any official position. I have submitted my resignation to my party leaders and await their response,โ Bhondekar concluded.
(Inputs from PTI)
