Maharashtra Cabinet expansion: BJP leaders irked with Sanjay Rathod’s induction

India

oi-Deepika S

Mumbai,
Aug
09:
The
inclusion
of
Sanjay
Rathod,
a
rebel
Sena
legislator
once
accused
of
abetting
a
TikTok
star’s
suicide
in
the
Maharashtra
cabinet
seems
to
be
causing
the
first
bit
of
dissent
in
Chief
Minister
Eknath
Shinde’s
alliance
with
the
BJP.

BJP
leader
Chitra
Wagh
tweeted
a
video
saying,
“It
is
very
unfortunate
that
Sanjay
Rathod,
who
caused
the
death
of
Maharashtra’s
daughter
Pooja
Chavan,
has
been
given
the
post
of
minister
again…
I
will
continue
my
fight
against
him.”

However,
Shinde
defended
the
move
saying,
Rathod
was
given
a
clean
chit
by
police
when
the
MVA
was
in
power.
Hence,
he
was
included
in
the
state
cabinet.

Maharashtra
cabinet
expansion:
Check
the
list
of
ministers
here

“He’s
been
given
the
clean
chit
by
police
after
investigation
during
the
previous
government.
That’s
why
we
have
made
him
a
minister.
We
will
speak
to
anyone
who
has
an
objection.”

Meanwhile,
former
Mumbai
mayor
Kishori
Pednekar
claimed
the
BJP
is
like
a
washing
machine
and
once
leaders
go
there,
they
come
out
clean.

Rathod,
who
was
part
of
the
previous
Uddhav
Thackeray-led
Maha
Vikas
Aghadi
(MVA)
government,
resigned
last
year
over
his
alleged
link
to
a
woman’s
death.

BJP
had
then
demanded
his
resignation.
He
was
the
first
minister
who
had
to
resign
from
Maha
Vikas
Aghadi
(MVA)
cabinet.

Pednekar,
who
belongs
to
the
Uddhav
Thackeray-led
Sena
faction,
said,
“It’s
(the
BJP)
like
a
washing
machine.
Once
they
go
there,
they
come
out
clean.”

Shinde
and
39
other
Sena
legislators
had
revolted
against
the
party
leadership
in
June
this
year,
which
led
to
the
collapse
of
the
Thackeray-led
MVA
government.

On
June
30,
Shinde
was
sworn
in
as
the
chief
minister
and
BJP
leader
Devendra
Fadnavis
took
oath
as
deputy
CM.
CM
Shinde
on
Tuesday
expanded
his
two-member
ministry.

Eighteen
legislators,
including
Sanjay
Rathod
and
Abdul
Sattar,
were
sworn
in
as
cabinet
ministers
at
Raj
Bhavan
in
south
Mumbai.

Rathod
(51)
is
a
four-term
Sena
MLA
from
Yavatmal
district.
Sattar
(54)
is
a
three-term
MLA
from
Marathwada.
He
was
with
Congress
in
his
first
two
terms
and
joined
the
Sena
in
2019.