Nagpur: The winter session of the state legislature that concluded last Friday was a tame affair with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his Cabinet colleagues deftly handling the combined opposition onslaught. Except for the outside commotion caused in the first week by a series of protest marches, the business inside the Vidhan Bhavan proceeded smoothly with 18 Bills and supplementary budgetary demands getting through in ten sittings.
While the session would certainly add to first-time CM Fadnavis' learning curve, he has more than demonstrated a cool head and that he possesses ability to deflect the opposition's concerted rhetoric, be it on farmer problems or sensitive law and order points. The way the opposition latched on to the Munna Yadav episode easily led to suspicion that it was deliberately used as a red-herring by the CM to keep them off other more sensitive issues.
Fadnavis did not come out with any tangible relief package except for a slightly hiked onus on paddy and the loan waiver schemes already being rolled out. Yet, he made it out as an unprecedented relief by factoring in the Central aid, insurance claims and compensation from seed companies that look, at least today, tough to land.
With winter session a closed chapter, the next task before Fadnavis is the much-awaited cabinet reshuffle-cum-expansion. The matter has been kept hanging for last several months and now what could complicate is the Narayan Rane factor.
The former CM has quit Congress and formed his own party which has allied with the BJP-led NDA. He has been promised a Cabinet berth to pave way for his political rehabilitation. But this is not so easy as it is bound to bring the BJP-Sena alliance to a flash point.
The already stretched alliance could snap with the Shiv Sena threatening to withdraw from the government if the old bete noire is inducted. The Sena has never forgiven him quitting their party. "We will certainly leave the government if Rane is brought into the government," said a Sena minister. But the CM has indicated that Rane would be inducted, come what may.
In fact, Fadnavis is positive that Rane's entry in government would lead to a much favourable political realignment with several MLAs of the Sena as well as Congress switching over to the BJP. The recent cross-voting during MLC election of Prasad Lad and BJP's continuing winning streak in Gujarat have kept this possibility alive.
How Fadnavis will manage this exercise is being watched with curiosity. One thing is clear that seeking direct or indirect support from the NCP was now out of the question since BJP is firm that the 'corrupt' tag that goes with that party could become a liability when it goes to polls in 2019.
If the promised defections do not happen, then how the Fadnavis government survives makes the Cabinet rejig exercise a major challenge for the CM. With polls about 20 months away, he cannot afford to defer it any more to provide much needed impetus to governance.
