Mumbai: NCP has been unable to get its
senior member Ramraje Nimbalkar elected to either House six
months after he was sworn in as a Cabinet minister and a
decision on his fate is expected to be taken tomorrow.
Nimbalkar was among the 18 Congress and 20 NCP
ministers who took oath on November 7. He was not a member of
either House when he was inducted in the Ashok Chavan
ministry.
Nimbalkar is minister for water resources (Krishna
Valley Irrigation Corporation) and is among the popular
leaders in western Maharashtra of the Sharad Pawar-led party.
The issue was discussed at a meeting of the NCP`s
state parliamentary board here today. However, a decision on
his fate is expected to be announced tomorrow, party sources
said.
"Nimbalkar will have to resign as no minister can
continue in the Council of Ministers beyond six months if he
is not a member of either House," a Vidhan Bhawan official
said.
However, after resigning from the ministry, there is
a provision that such a person could be sworn in even the
very next day.
It would be interesting to see if the party adopts
this route or waits for July, when Legislative Council
elections are held for 10 seats, and fields Nimbalkar from one
of them, feel political observers.
PTI
