The new Ashok Chavan-led council of ministers sworn in on Saturday did not have any high-profile first-time MLAs. The Congress-NCP alliance has also dropped several ministers in the previous government.

There was speculation that a few high-profile MLAs like President Pratibha Patil’s son Rajendra Shekhawat, Sushilkumar Shinde’s daughter Praniti, Vilasrao Deshmukh’s son Amit, Chhagan Bhujbal’s son Pankaj and Ganesh Naik’s son Sandeep could be inducted.

“First-time MLAs have not been included in the council of ministers as it was felt by leaders that they should get some time to become familiar with the working of the legislature,” a senior Congress leader said, “They may be inducted after a couple of assembly sessions¿the Congress has kept four ministerial berths vacant, which can be filled in due course.”

Sources said the party leadership was jittery over inclusion of such MLAs as it would have invited criticism from within and outside the party.

“Our party has many senior and capable leaders. The induction of first-time MLAs is possible after the cabinet expansion that is likely after the Winter Session of the state legislature in Nagpur (next month),” Congress spokesperson Kanhaiyalal Gidwani said.

Prominent among minister who have been dropped are Chandrakant Handore, who was social welfare minister in the previous government, Dilip Walse-Patil (finance), Vimal Mundada (public works-corporations) and Nawab Malik (labour).

Handore and Malik are from Mumbai. Handore is a Buddhist-Dalit from Chembur and has been dropped apparently to give a chance to Varsha Gaikwad, daughter of MP Eknath Gaikwad, of the same community from Dharavi.

... contd.