Victorious Mahayuti allies, the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), are now engaged in hectic and intense negotiations over the distribution of ministerial portfolios for the cabinet expansion expected sometime next week.
After portfolios are distributed to them, ministers are expected to take their oaths before the winter session of the Maharashtra assembly in Nagpur, according to BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar.
However, talks are still on, and according to sources, discussions have become tricky and delicate since Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar are now reported to be eyeing the same number of ministries that they used to have in the previous Mahayuti government led by Eknath Shinde. But the BJP, which is in a much more dominant position due to its stunning performance in the recent Maharashtra assembly polls, is reported to be not at all keen on any kind of a compromise and is said to be adamant about grabbing a larger share of the ministerial portfolio pie.
According to sources, the BJP is said to be eyeing some 24 of the total 43 portfolios, with 10 ministerial portfolios likely to be given to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and 9 portfolios to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
To make things harder, the BJP is hell-bent on grabbing the home and the urban development ministries, which the Shinde-led Sena wishes to have. As things stand, instead of these portfolios, the BJP is reported to have offered the revenue ministry to the Shinde-led Sena instead, which does not seem to have gone down well with the Shinde-led Sena.
The saffron party has also insisted that the Shinde-led Sena must keep out controversial leaders accused of corruption like Tanaji Sawant, Sanjay Rathod, and Abdul Sattar away from any ministerial portfolio. According to sources, Shinde-led Sena leaders pointed out that there are many leaders in Ajit Pawar’s NCP who are accused of corruption including Deputy CM Ajit Pawar himself and this has led to hard feelings in the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
Meanwhile, it is learned that Ajit Pawar is likely to get the finance ministry with a minister of state (finance), even as the Ajit-led NCP is also keen on portfolios such as agriculture and cooperation, sources said.