Tug-of-war over key portfolios as Maha Yuti aims to finalise cabinet before winter session of Maharashtra Assembly

Mumbai:  A day after Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the Maharashtra Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar as his two deputies, a tug-of war has emerged for the dozen-odd key portfolios even the Maha Yuti leadership hopes to wrap up the negotiations ahead of the Nagpur winter session of the Maharashtra legislature. 

The Maha Yuti top brass involving the leaders of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP would meet over the weekend and arrive at a formula.

The Nagpur session starts on December 16 and will go on till 21 and the trio of Fadnavis-Shinde-Pawar wants the ministry to be in place. 

The government is planning the expansion of the Cabinet on December 11 or 12. 

“The post of CM is just a technical agreement between us... we have been together to take decisions and will continue to do so…there are no differences among us,” Fadnavis has said ahead of the swearing in ceremony.

Now with a government in place, the focus of discussions are portfolios. 

As far as the total strength is concerned, the government can have 43 ministers - 15 per cent of the total strength of the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. 

Principally, the three parties have agreed on a formula of BJP (21), Shiv Sena (12) and NCP (10) ratio in the ministry. 

Around seventy percent of the ministers would be of Cabinet rank, while the rest Ministers of State. 

“The matter is complex and is stuck on key portfolios and guardian ministries of the 36 districts of the state,” informed sources said, adding that the leadership has agreed to have a mix of experienced and freshers, appropriate gender representation and people from all the regions - Konkan, Western Maharashtra, North Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha - and also communities. 

According to the sources, the BJP high-command will also okay the list.

“The process also involves the appointment of the new Speaker of Assembly, filling the vacant post of Chairperson of Council. Besides the ministry, the leadership of three parties have decided not to delay the process of appointment of Chairpersons of government-owned corporations,” the sources said. 

Shinde is likely to  retain the Urban Development portfolio and may also receive the Revenue department as the BJP does not want to part with the Home portfolio. On the other hand, Pawar may get finance.