New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence on Wednesday night. The meeting was held reportedly to decide the allocation of portfolios after the Mahayuti government took charge last week.
After the meeting, the power-sharing formula and cabinet portfolio distribution of Mahayuti has been decided, sources said. According to sources, BJP will keep 20 ministerial berths, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena will get 12 ministerial posts and Ajit Pawar’s NCP will be given 10 ministerial posts.
Earlier, a senior BJP leader was quoted as saying by news agency PTI that the cabinet expansion may take place on December 14. He had also reportedly said that the Shiv Sena would not get the home department and was also unlikely to be allocated the revenue portfolio.
Portfolio allocations before December 16
Fadnavis had pointed out that the portfolio allocations would take place before the winter session of the state Assembly, which begins from December 16, said Shiv Sena MLA and spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat. The Maharashtra cabinet can have a maximum of 43 ministers, including the Chief Minister.
The swearing-in of Fadnavis as Chief Minister took place on December 5 after a long suspense over who will be Maharashtra’s next CM. He took oath along with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar as his deputies. Romping home to victory, the Mahayuti alliance bagged 230 of the 288 Assembly seats in the November 20 polls. Sources said that Shinde accepted the deputy CM’s post after being prodded by Shiv Sena MLAs to join the new government.
According to some reports, the BJP may keep the key portfolios of home, revenue, irrigation, urban development, forests, transport, higher and technical education, and housing, besides departments like general administration, culture, tribal development, law and judiciary, and information technology (IT).
