The recent cabinet expansion at the Maharashtra state level has brought political ripple effects whose undercurrents dominate the national politics of the state. The expansion, which saw 39 MLAs take an oath into the Minister’s office, has brought forth a political reshuffle and highlighted discontent among much of the MLAs. Hence this article surveys vitals of the expansion, discontent that follows, government promises, as well as Chief Minister Devendra Fadavi’s action-strategy ‘audit’.

A fresh development within the Maharashtra Cabinet has surely stirred political waves at this time. This event brings to light even more important issues regarding the workings of the ruling coalition in the state. The cabinet expansion saw 39 MLA’s taking an oath to becoming ministers in the new government and will also add up to the charges within the political landscape, in addition to putting forward the brewing disstate with regard to a large number of MLAs. This particular article omits on vital issues such as expansion, the discontent that follows, the governments assurances, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis audit approach.

The Cabinet Expansion

On December 15, 2024, the long-awaited expansion of Maharashtra’s Cabinet saw the swearing-in of 39 MLAs as ministers. This is another step towards the consolidation of administrative machinery by the BJP-led government in an effort to realize a fair representation of various regions and communities in the government. The new cabinet is made up of 33 cabinet ministers and six ministers of state, the strength reaching 42, one minister less than the permissible limit1.

The BJP achieved the biggest portion of them with now 19 ministries, next to Shivsena with 11, and NCP with nine. This was indicative of how the coalition intended to juggle the balance of power among its allies. However, expansion had its share of controversy and turbulence.

Dissatisfied MLAs

Strategically assigning ministerial posts resulted in dissatisfaction among several MLAs excluded from the cabinet. In fact, disgust and unrest within the ranks after not including senior leaders of all three parties. Among the senior-most ones that have been looked over were Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, and Sudhir Mungantiwar, setting of a ripple effect of discontent2.

Along with the regional imbalance in the cabinet, the representation of regions such as Satara and Pune through ministers multiples increases the discontent. Meanwhile, among the remaining 14 districts, there is no representation at all. Members of the locality accused favoritism; this further spiced up the anger of the MLA’s from these regions.

The Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has its own internal strife. Shinde’s move to take affidavits from newly sworn-in ministers promising to resign after two and a half years to make place for other contenders has met with mixed reactions. This ‘perform or perish’ policy fosters accountability at the same time brings strife to the power portfolio within the party3.

Assurance from Government

The discontent citizens are still growing, and in response to this situation, the government has given some assurances to soothe the displeased MLAs and party workers. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has underlined that the term of some ministers would be for two and a half years, after which a mid-term performance review would be done. This has been done to offer some hope to those who were left out that one day they might still be inducted in the cabinet.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also assured that the exaltation of allocations would be declared soon, said to allay the fears of long wait concerning this important governing aspect. The government expressed further commitments to fulfill the organization promises to its public and see that the new ministers perform rightly in their capacities.

CM’s Audit Strategy

Among the recent cabinet expansion’s highlights is Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ ‘audit’ strategy’. Whereas a mid-term appraisal will be carried out on the ministers to ascertain their performances and hold them accountable for all actions undertaken by them, the ‘audit’ strategy is certainly aimed towards maintaining high governance standards and focusing on ministers’ duties.

The ‘audit’ strategy is not about performance appraisal only; it stands at that juncture as a balance-of-power arrangement among coalition partners. Fadnavis desperately needs such a facility through which ministers can be reviewed and replaced after two-and-a-half years to keep a leash on coalition partners and prevent any of them from gaining an upper hand over the others.

In reality, this strategy is a means to remind ministers about transitory nature of their offices. It means they should try and test ones again in their offices. This exists to instill quite an accountable sense while holding them devoted ministers in the real aspects.

Conclusion

This cabinet expansion has rocked the political pond and reshaped its structures in the state while bringing forth the complexities of coalition politics. The cabinet expansion is expected to empower the government and make a balanced representation, but it has also exposed hidden discontents among MLAs, thus continuing to show the work-up necessary to hold the coalition together.

Assurances from the government, apart from the ‘audit’ methodology of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, seem to have undertaken much of these issues. To bring all-round accountability and hope to the excluded categories-that is their priority-to pacify without curtailing effective government action.

New ministers would be scrutinized on their performance, especially regarding the expected deliverables from their portfolio. These next few months will eventually become crucial for determining how far the new cabinet will carry its mandate into its ninth year, as well as how successful government strategies are in taming disaffection and ensuring a performance-oriented approach to governance.