Maharashtra govt formation: Race for top ministries begins after CM tussle

Leaders of BJP and its allies Shiv Sena and NCP are eyeing for ministries like Revenue, Home, Finance and Planning, Urban Development, Rural Development, Water Resources, Energy, Public Works, Public Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, Agriculture and Excuse.

Mumbai: As the government formation in Maharashtra gathered steam on Monday, the race to grab plum portfolios and posts have commenced with top leaders of BJP and its allies Shiv Sena and NCP eyeing for the top ministries of Revenue, Home, Finance and Planning, Urban Development, Rural Development, Water Resources, Energy, Public Works, Public Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, Agriculture and Excise.

There were several aspirants for the posts of Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and Chairperson of Maharashtra Legislative Council.

Besides, allocation of district guardian ministries to the council-of-ministers is going to be a challenging task because of too many claimants.

For the Maha Yuti-NDA leadership its going to be a tightrope walk because of the five huge regions - Mumbai-Konkan, Western Maharashtra, North Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha. Besides, in the wake of the reservation issue in Maharashtra - representation to all communities have to be given.

In the previous Maha Yuti government there was only one woman minister and there has been much criticism against Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi.

Fadnavis is expected to head the new Maha Yuti dispensation.

The total number of ministers that Maharashtra can have is 43.

The BJP ministerial probables include Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Girish Mahajan, Pankaja Munde, Chandrashekar Bawankule, Ashish Shelar, Rahul Kul, Ganesh Naik, Shivendra Raje Bhosale.

The Shiv Sena aspirants are Sanjay Shirsat, Gulabrao Patil, Shambhuraj Desai, Bharat Gogawale, Tanaji Sawant, Nilesh Rane, Ashish Jaiswal.

The NCP aspirants are Chhagan Bhujbal, Aditi Tatkare, Dhananjay Munde, Anil Patil, Ashish Jaiswal, Dharmarajbaba Atram.

The key portfolios and the ratio of the Cabinet ministers and junior ministers is an important issue.

The aspirants of the three parties have individually called on the MahaYuti leaders - Fadnavis, Shinde and Pawar.