Almost three weeks after securing a majority in the Maharashtra assembly elections, the Mahayuti alliance has set to assign cabinet responsibilities to its three coalition partners, the NCP, BJP, and Shiv Sena. Days after Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the Chief Minister, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday. The meeting comes amid the three parties requesting the intervention of central BJP leaders to address remaining contentious issue.
On Wednesday night, Fadnavis and his deputy Ajit Pawar held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP Chief JP Nadda. The leaders’ visit to Delhi was prompted by ongoing disputes within the cabinet over specific departments. Eknath Shinde, however, decided not to go because he was offended.
According to reports, Fadnavis, Shinde and Ajit Pawar agreed on a division of 22 ministerial berths for the BJP, 11 for Shiv Sena, and 10 for the NCP. In Maharashtra, there can be no more than 43 cabinet positions, including chief minister.
The distribution of berths may still change. BJP officials claim that the NCP and Shiv Sena will probably be given less important portfolios if they ask for more slots. The BJP is anticipated to hold onto its core portfolios, which include revenues and homes. Despite Shinde’s insistence on the home department, he was assigned to urban development, and then NCP will receive the finance ministry.
Eknath Shinde’s absence
At first, Shiv Sena maintained that Shinde should continue to serve a Chief Minister, claiming that he was the driving force behind the election triumph. The BJP, however, remained steadfast in its support of Fadnavis for the top job. Since the BJP just need the backing of the NCP to obtain a majority, Mr. Shinde’s influence was minimal. On December 5, Mr. Shinde took the oath of office as Deputy Chief Minister and publicly declared that he would not obstruct the formation of a cabinet. Political circles have questioned his recent absence from the capital, though, and it is yet unknown if he would participate in the discussions in Delhi.
Read Also: ‘One Nation, One Election’: The 11 Proposals In The Draft Cleared By Cabinet Today
