Fadnavis safe despite leaders sulking over cabinet exclusion: Raut

Mumbai, Dec 17 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said the discontent among some leaders of Mahayuti over their exclusion from the new council of ministers will not affect the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.

In a veiled attack on the BJP, Raut alleged the invisible power which had supported NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal during the Maratha quota stir has left him to fend for himself.

Bhujbal has publicly expressed his displeasure over his exclusion from the Devendra Fadnavis-led cabinet.

At least ten former ministers from Mahayuti allies were not inducted in the new cabinet, including Bhujbal, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar, and Shiv Sena leaders Abdul Sattar and Tanaji Sawant, besides some other ministerial aspirants.

Raut said Bhujbal took an extreme step when Manoj Jarange launched a stir demanding the quota for Marathas under the OBC category.

Notably, Bhujbal had opposed the quota for the Maratha community under the OBC grouping and addressed several rallies.

The invisible power behind Bhujbal has now left him to fend for himself, Raut said.

He said Bhujbal was struck by the same invisible power which had supported Eknath Shinde in splitting the undivided Shiv Sena.

"Even if Bhujbal throws tantrums, it has to be seen how much of his mental and physical strength is left," Raut told reporters in New Delhi.

He said some MLAs are shedding tears after missing out on the cabinet berths, but they will be placated.

"They will cry and eventually keep quiet as there is no possibility of any danger to the state government if one or two MLAs go sulking. They will whine for some time but they will be pacified," Raut added.

The Mahayuti coalition of BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP won 230 of 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly elections, restricting the opposition MVA to 46 seats. PTI