Representation of Mumbai in the Union Cabinet has drastically reduced as the financial capital of India failed to get even a single Cabinet-rank minister despite the excellent performance in the last two Lok Sabha elections.
In the last Council of Ministers, Mr Murli Deora was the only minister from Mumbai with Cabinet rank while Mr Gurudas Kamat was a minister of state. Mr Deora had requested the Congress high command and the Prime Minister to be relieved even before the Cabinet reshuffle and Mr Kamat resigned on “personal reasons” even after his elevation to the the minister of state (Independent charge).
Now, Mr Milind Deora is the only minister representing the India’s financial capital. He is the minister of state for communications and information technology.
The Congress has won five of the total six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai in the general election held in 2009. And the sixth seat was won by its ally, the NCP.
Mumbai used to be the stronghold of the Opposition parties like the Shiv Sena-BJP combine and before that the Janata Party, Socialists, Communists.
However, the Congress has virtually checked the Opposition in 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
But Mumbai’s meagre representation in the Union Cabinet could help the Opposition to play the Mumbai card in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. The Shiv Sena had made the “Mumbai man” Manohar Joshi the Maharashtra chief minister and later the Lok Sabha Speaker.
The metropolitan was well represented in the Union Cabinet during the NDA regime.