aDays after BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister, Shiv Sena on Friday expressed its will to take the the crucial home portfolio in the state government. Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogawale told PTI that when Fadnavis was deputy CM he held the home department.

Now the Shiv Sena leader claimed that Eknath Shinde is demanding the same arrangement and talks are in progress.

“When Fadnavis was the deputy CM (in the previous Shinde-led government), he also held the home department. Now, Saheb has demanded the same arrangement and talks (on portfolio allocation) are in progress,” news agency PTI quoted Gogavale.

The Raigad MLA said, “The demand was probably made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah. We hope the talks on portfolios will be over in the next two days.”

Maharashtra CM Oath-taking ceremony

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister on Thursday, December 5. The oath ceremony held more than ten days after Mahayuti alliance consisted of BJP, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party registered a landmark victory in Maharashtra State Assembly Elections 2024.

Eknath Shinde took oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. According to media reports, Shinde was not willing to accept the deputy CM post but other Shiv Sena leaders convinced him to take the position. After showcasing a strong performance in the elections, Shinde is adamant about the home department.

In 2022, Eknath Shinde led a rebellion against then CM Uddhav Thackeray, the head of a joint Shiv Sena. The rebellion resulted in a painful split in the party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray. The original name and symbol was assigned to Eknath Shinde-led faction.

Devendra Fadnavis rejects reports on Eknath Shinde’s disappointment

Amid speculations about Eknath Shinde’s disappointment over portfolio allocation, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has maintained that everything is fine between Shinde, Pawar and him.

“I don’t think Shinde ji was angry on any issue. There was one faction that wanted Shinde ji to become the coordination committee chairman. There was no anger. During our meeting in Delhi, he had conceded that as the BJP has more MLAs, the CM should be from the party,” Devendra Fadnavis told CNN-News18 in an interview.

Maharashtra: Shiv Sena Chief Eknath Shinde on Thursday took oath as Deputy Chief Minister in the BJP-led Mahayuti government and invoked late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.

Shinde started his oath by bowing to Balasaheb Thackeray, remembering mentor late Anand Dighe and taking blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah and 13 crore people of Maharshtra.

The 60-year-old former CM, elected MLA from Kopri-Pachpakhadi in Thane district, led the Shiv Sena to a spectacular victory in the polls as it won 57 of the 81 seats it contested. Shinde reduced the rival Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to just 20 assembly segments.

Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar were administered the oath by Governor CP Radhakrishnan at a ceremony held at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the Chief Minister.

At a press conference at Raj Bhavan immediately after the meeting on Wednesday, Shinde said, “I am happy that at this place around two and a half years ago, Fadnavis had recommended that I should become the CM. Now, we have given a letter of recommendation from Shiv Sena for Fadnavis to become CM. This government is being formed in a healthy atmosphere.”

Big-ticket infrastructure projects

Mumbai coastal road, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu, metro rail, Navi Mumbai international airport, Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg and Dharavi redevelopment are among big projects Shinde pushed for.

Key role in Mahayuti’s victory

Eknath Shinde played a key role in Mahayuti’s massive victory in the assembly polls. His government’s Ladki Bahin Yojana (beloved sister), a cash transfer scheme targeted at women from poor families, ultimately proved to be the game-changer for the ruling bloc in the elections. The scheme became so popular among women that the Shiv Sena leader earned the title of ‘Ladka Bhau’ (beloved brother).