On Monday night (from left) Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar had hectic talks on portfolios. (Twitter)
Maharashtra cabinet may be expanded within the next 48-72 hours. However, the talks got stuck due to the number of candidates being more than the available portfolios. There is a possibility that Ajit Pawar may be asked to head the revenue or energy department
maharashtra cabinet expansion portfolio distribution According to sources, this was the main topic of discussion in a late night meeting on Monday between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his two deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis (Bharatiya Janata Party) and Ajit Pawar (Nationalist Congress Party).
While it has been more than nine days since Ajit Pawar and his 8 MLAs were sworn in, no portfolio has been assigned to them.
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Newly inducted ministers, as well as cabinet aspirants from Shiv Sena and BJP, are pressing CM Shinde for an extension at the earliest, as ministers also get some time to study their portfolios and prepare for questions. May need it. It will be asked by the legislators on the floor of the House.
If sources are to be believed, the talks regarding portfolio distribution are still stuck as the number of claimants is more than the available portfolios.
Ajit Pawar’s demands
Recently inducted Ajit Pawar is seeking one of the important portfolios among Home, Finance and Urban Development.
Pawar was the finance minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by CM Uddhav Thackeray. In 2022, when Shinde and his 40 MLAs defected from the Thackeray-led Sena, one of the reasons cited was that Pawar did not give them easy funds, while NCP legislators always got first priority. Fadnavis is not ready to give Home portfolio to Pawar and Shinde is not ready to give up the Urban Development Department (UDD). There is a possibility that Pawar may be asked to head the revenue or energy departments, both important portfolios held by the BJP.
The source also indicated that Pawar has also sought Irrigation, Rural Development, Tourism, Social Justice, Women and Child Development and Excise portfolios for his MLAs.
caste factor; no junior minister
Shinde and Fadnavis are said to have held several meetings with their party MLAs and among themselves separately to discuss who could be inducted into the cabinet and who would get which portfolio.
Speaking to News18, a senior BJP leader said, “The cabinet expansion will happen within the next two days. Although the maximum limit in Maharashtra cabinet is 43 ministers, but there is a possibility that five ministers each from BJP and Shiv Sena may take oath.
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The leader also said that this time there is less chance of having a MoS (junior minister) in the cabinet, as whoever takes oath will directly get a place in the cabinet.
He indicated that Shinde and Fadnavis may consider the caste factor instead of performance. It is unlikely that Pawar will get Finance, Home, Urban Development and Irrigation portfolios, he said.
‘Within 48-72 hours’
Talking to the media, Minister Uday Samant said that the cabinet expansion could happen within the next 48-72 hours. “All the three leaders – CM Eknath Shinde and two deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar – know Maharashtra and its geography very well. They will distribute portfolios according to the capacity of the MLAs. We have full faith in Shinde’s leadership and will accept the decision taken by him.
BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told this correspondent: “One or two angry MLAs do not represent the voice of all 40-50 Shiv Sena MLAs. Just as we cannot make all BJP MLAs ministers, similarly we cannot make all Shiv Sena MLAs ministers. Some will have to make sacrifices or wait for their time.”
