BJP keeps MLA Dhas waiting

Mumbai: The BJP has kept its MLA Suresh Dhas waiting while appointing MLA Namita Mundata on the legislature committee to inspect charity hospitals.

Legislature committees have a major role to play in parliamentary democracy. However, during the MVA rule most of the committees were never constituted. On this backdrop, the Mahayuti government has taken lead in constituting the committees. While the BJP has named its MLAs and MLCs on the 11 committees that came to them, the Shiv Sena and the NCP who got 6 and 5 committees respectively are yet to announce the names. While political circles are abuzz with deliberations in hushed up voices over who has been favoured by the party leadership and who has fallen out of favour, it appears that these appointments are likely to be the next clash point within the Mahayuti.

In case of the BJP, a committee comprising of CM Devendra Fadnavis, state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, working president Ravindra Chavan, Randhir Savarkar and others has announced the appointments.

Looking at the names of MLAs who have been appointed on the committees, it is clear that the senior MLAs who couldn’t have been accommodated as junior ministers in the state government have been pacified with appointments on the committees. However, it is also being said that while the appointments have been made to pacify MLAs, they actually might lead to more unrest within the parties constituting Mahayuti.

The Maharashtra legislature has a total 35 committees. These committees act as the watchdogs of the democracy.

Of the appointments announced by the BJP, the appointment of Namita Mundada is particularly being debated. While Mundata is considered to be close to Pankaja Munde, it is being said that Dhas wasn’t considered for the appointment due to his vitriolic campaign against Dhananjay Munde in the Massajog sarpanch murder case. Mundada had even replaced Dhas in the district planning committees earlier. Hence, the appointment now is also likely to irk Dhas supporters.

During MVA rule and even during Mahayuti under Eknath Shinde only a select 4-5 committees were operational. Most of the other committees were not formed at all as most of the MLAs were facing disqualification pleas against them.