Sanjay Raut predicts new cabinet for Maha as Sena daily reveals ‘hitlist’

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP and chief party spokesperson told media persons here on Friday that Maharashtra is likely to get a “new cabinet” soon, even as Friday’s edition of the Sena-run Marathi daily ‘Saamna’ named eight ministers in the BJP-led Mahayuti government, who may be removed from their posts.

“There is a chaotic atmosphere in the state government. Now that the situation has gone out of hand, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has reached Delhi and the Maharashtra state government is under the control of Amit Shah. A situation has arisen and big decisions are going to be taken. I have been saying that 4 ministers will exist from the cabinet. Now, discussions are underway in Delhi to clean up the cabinet and bring in a new cabinet,” Sanjay Raut said.

Advertisement

“For the past few days, the burden of corruption in the government, anti-farmer statements by ministers, scams, details about ministers running ladies’ bars, and bags of money have come to light and Fadnavis is unable to control things,” Sanjay Raut said.

The Sena MP said on Thursday, a Jharkhand Police team came to Maharashtra, arrested businessman Amit Salunkhe and took him away with them. Amit Salunkhe is the director of Sumit Facility and the alleged mastermind of the ‘108 ambulance’ scam in the state. “This scam is worth Rs 800 crore. Apart from that, Amit Salunkhe is the financial backbone of the Shrikant Shinde Medical Foundation (run by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde). Amit Salunkhe diverted the money from the scam to this foundation. Amit Salunkhe is close to Shrikant Shinde and Eknath Shinde,” Sanjay Raut said.

“This arrest is not simple. The government wants to find out where the money went. The threads of this case have reached the Maharashtra state cabinet. It is important that a person close to Shrikant Shinde has been arrested and now this case will be sent to the Enforcement Directorate (ED). An investigation will be conducted into how much money was made, how much went to the foundation, how much was used in the elections and how much money went to whom,” Sanjay Raut said.

It is learnt that the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Jharkhand Police arrested Amit Salunkhe in connection with the liquor scam case in Jharkhand and that Salunkhe is a close associate of Chhattisgarh-based liquor businessman Siddharth Singhania. The arrest was made based on facts revealed during Singhania’s interrogation, sources said.

In a related development, the ‘Saamna’ revealed in its Friday morning edition that eight ministers in the BJP-led Mahayuti government will soon be removed from their posts, in a cabinet reshuffle.

According to the daily, these ministers are Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, Minister for Social Justice Sanjay Shirsat, Minister of State for Home Affairs Yogesh Kadam, Minister for Food and Drugs Administration Narhari Zirwal, Minister of Ports Development Nitesh Rane, Rural Development Minister Jayakumar Gore, Minister for Employment Guarantee Scheme Bharat Gogavale and School Education Minister Dada Bhuse.

The newspaper also hinted at the possibility of BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar being made the Speaker of the Assembly, and present speaker Rahul Narvekar getting a ministerial post.

Pressure to remove agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate has increased after he was caught using a gambling application on his mobile phone in the premises of the state assembly. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has hinted at Kokate’s exit, according to the daily.

Minister for Social Justice Sanjay Shirsat is embroiled in controversy after bundles of currency notes were found at his house. Earlier he was accused of rigging the auction of a hotel which was to be purchased by his son. Shirsat is likely to exit the cabinet, the daily reported.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Yogesh Kadam has been in trouble after a ladies dance bar was found to be running in the name of his mother and he too is likely to be removed, according to the Sena newspaper.

Minister for Food and Drugs Administration Narhari Zirwal has been accused of lack of communication and poor performance due to which he may be ousted, according to the Sena newspaper.

Minister of Ports Development Nitesh Rane who is always in the news for making controversial statements is likely to exit the cabinet, the daily reported.

Rural Development Minister Jayakumar Gore has courted controversy after allegations made by a woman and he is likely to be relieved of his post, according to the newspaper’s report.

Minister for Employment Guarantee Scheme Bharat Gogavale was found in the company of ‘maantriks’ or witch doctors who perform Aghori rituals, the newspaper mentioned.

School education minister Dada Bhuse, who came under a cloud after the decision to make Hindi compulsory from Class 1, is likely to be removed from the cabinet, the Sena’s daily newspaper has reported.