Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde is reportedly upset over the allocation of key portfolios. Ahead of the Cabinet expansion in the Mahayuti government, Shinde skipped his visit to New Delhi on December 11 while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar arrived in the national capital.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may retain the Home Department, which has been a bone of contention with the Shiv Sena. Shinde has been keen on securing the Home Ministry since agreeing to take the oath as Deputy Chief Minister in the new government.

The Cabinet expansion in Maharashtra is likely to take place on December 16. The government can have 43 ministries, including the CM. According to reports, all three parties in the Mahayuti — the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the NCP — are driving hard bargains.

A formal meeting of the three leaders — Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Shinde and Ajit Pawar — was scheduled in Delhi on Wednesday, according to sources. The meeting would formalise the portfolio allocation. But Shinde decided to stay back, according to reports.

“The Shiv Sena believes the BJP is systematically working to downsize its powers within the government. They are not only denying Shinde the Home ministry but also not agreeing for Revenue, Industries and Housing portfolios sought by the party in the new government,” a Shiv Sena leader was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

The Indian Express report said the Shiv Sena believes the BJP and NCP are working in tandem to undermine its powers in the Mahayuti government.

Eknath Shinde Upset?

Shinde is also reportedly upset by the NCP’s claim to the Housing portfolio. The Housing ministry was with the BJP in the last Mahayuti government.

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as chief minister of Maharashtra for the third term during a mega oath-taking ceremony at Mumbai’s historic Azad Maidan on December 5. ShindePrime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP’s top brass.

BJP, the single-largest party with 132 MLAs, is expected to get 20 departments. According to reports, the Shiv Sena and NCP will each have ten ministries.

The Shiv Sena believes the BJP is systematically working to downsize its powers within the government.

The BJP will keep the Home Ministry while PWD (Public Works Department) and UD (Urban Development) may go to the Shinde camp. Ajit Pawar is likely to retain the Finance portfolio, the reports said.

Two days after Eknath Shinde took oath as deputy chief minister to Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant has dropped a big revelation that the former Maharashtra chief minister was reluctant to cede the top post to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the party’s landslide in the Assembly elections. Uday Samant said Eknath Shinde was not happy with the deputy chief minister’s post that was offered to him.

Eknath Shinde, instead, wanted to focus on on building his party. But the Shiv Sena chief relented due to the demand of the party leaders, Uday Samant said. 

“Eknath Shinde was not interested in becoming deputy CM. Party MLAs and leaders insisted that he should be part of the government because it is his responsibility to ensure that the schemes he launched are taken forward,” Uday Samant told reporters.

After the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, December 5, Eknath Shinde spoke to Shiv Sena leaders at the party office and said that he wanted to build the organisation but “honoured” their request.

Two weeks after the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition registered a massive victory in the Assembly elections, Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as chief minister while Eknath Shinde took oath as his deputy, ending the uncertainty over the outgoing chief minister’s role in the new Mahayuti government. Ajit Pawar also took the oath as the deputy chief minister.

Not just the party workers, Devendra Fadnavis, too, reportedly requested Eknath Shinde that he should join the new government as deputy CM, Samant said.

“Devendra Fadnavis personally requested Eknath Shinde to join the government. Eknath Shinde respected the request…. Shinde made a massive contribution to Maharashtra [during his tenure as CM]. It was necessary that he join the government for the sake of the state’s people and his followers. He was thinking that he should make somebody else deputy CM and he himself should work to increase the party’s strength. We flatly rejected this proposal,” Uday Samant said.