Following an agreement on the distribution of ministerial seats and the top three portfolios, the three ruling parties in Maharashtra have asked national BJP officials to step in on a few lingering, divisive matters. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis travelled to Delhi on Wednesday for a two-day visit in an attempt to settle the ongoing conflict over some ministries. Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister, attended Fadnavis, but an irate Eknath Shinde decided not to go.
Fadnavis, Shinde, and Ajit have decided to give the BJP 22 seats, the Shiv Sena 11 seats, and the NCP 10 seats in their discussions over the last few days. In Maharashtra, the chief minister and the ministerial council can have a maximum of 43 members.
Each party’s berth count is still subject to change. BJP officials claim that the Sena and NCP will have to accept relatively small ministries if they insist on gaining more seats. Regarding the main portfolios, the BJP has retained the home department and is anticipated to keep the revenue department as well. The finance department will go to the NCP, while Shinde, who was advocating for home, has been assigned to the urban development department.
On Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were scheduled to meet with BJP president J P Nadda and government home minister Amit Shah. Shinde was also supposed to be at the meeting, but he made the important decision not go. His close aides claim that he was given no other noteworthy portfolios besides the urban development department. Revenue, public works, including MSRDC, housing, and energy were among the departments he was interested in, but the BJP rejected his request. Shinde is also not thrilled with the BJP’s demand that he fire leaders from the previous administration who were accused of corruption.
“In fact, Shinde is quite upset at the way he has been treated in the whole deal,” said his close aide. “He has to haggle for everything. He feels he has not been given his due share in power though he went all out and contributed significantly to the Mahayuti’s victory in Maharashtra.” The deputy CM, thus did not go to Delhi, choosing to stay put at his Thane residence.
Prior to the first cabinet enlargement, Mahayuti leaders claimed they were attempting to settle the portfolio disagreement. To confirm the names to be sworn in on Saturday, Fadnavis and Ajit are scheduled to meet with Shinde in Mumbai on Thursday following their meeting in Delhi. A BJP leader said that the ruling alliance would be able to expand the cabinet before the winter session beginning in Nagpur on December 16 only if the disputes were resolved.
“While the contentious three departments (home, urban development and finance) have been settled on, the three parties may exchange a few departments in due course,” said a BJP leader. “Apart from home and revenue, the BJP is expected to retain housing and water resources. The NCP may get the cooperation department, while discussion on the agriculture department is underway between the BJP and the NCP. The Sena will get the excise and public works department. Most of these departments are expected by the party as they already held them in the previous Mahayuti government.”
Former minister and Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant claimed that Shinde had been granted full authority by the party to make decisions regarding power-sharing. “He had a very detailed meeting with Devendra Fadnavis on Monday night,” said Samant. “The discussion is moving very positively.”
According to the senior Sena leader cited above, the party was requesting 13 seats and anticipated receiving at least 12, meaning the NCP may receive nine. “The NCP is also pushing for additional berths, but in that case the BJP could ask them and even the Sena to settle for comparatively insignificant departments,” he said.
Although it remained unclear if the entire team will be sworn in, another BJP leader stated that the cabinet expansion might take place on December 14. “Ideally, it should have been with over 30 additional ministers, but in the given situation, just 15 or 18 ministers (five to six from each side) could take oath in the first expansion,” he said. “The Shiv Sena is in a tussle with the BJP about the names to be inducted; it is unwilling to drop the tainted ministers from the last cabinet as insisted on by the BJP. Secondly, there are a couple of departments like PWD and agriculture that have been claimed by at least two of the three parties.”
An NCP leader said that the major clash was between the BJP and Shiv Sena. “Our party has agreed to the berths offered and the names of those to be inducted also have been finalised,” he said.
Fadnavis has insisted on including as many lawmakers from the three parties as possible, taking into account the demands of the winter session. After returning from Delhi, the recently appointed chief minister will host a Thanksgiving rally in Nagpur on Friday. The BJP leader quoted above said that the only day remaining for the swearing-in was Saturday. “If it does not happen on that day, it may be further delayed,” he said. “It will then take place only after the winter session ends on December 21.”
