Mumbai:
Last week Eknath Shinde took oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra to bring the curtain down on nearly two weeks of ‘will he, won’t he’ suspense – would the sulking Shiv Sena leader give up, amicably, the Chief Minister’s chair to the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis? The answer – yes.
This week the Sena boss could spark a whole new period of tension for the BJP-led Mahayuti that romped to victory in the November 23 Maharashtra election. Sources told NDTV Wednesday evening Mr Shinde may not be present in Delhi when Mr Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, whose NCP is the third Mahayuti member, meet Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss portfolios.
The ‘who-gets-what-ministry’ battle – and the new Maharashtra government’s cabinet formation – Is expected to be the next big challenge for the BJP and Mr Fadnavis, particularly after it emerged earlier each of its two allies had demanded plum posts in exchange for their support.
Mr Shinde’s Sena faction, for example, is believed to want the high-profile Home Ministry – to which the Maharashtra Police reports – held by Devendra Fadnavis in the last administration.
The argument here is it is the only prize big enough to compensate for surrendering the Chief Minister’s chair. However, the BJP is unlikely to want to give up Home; the argument there is the party feels it has a number of candidates who can run the department effectively.
The Sena may be offered Urban Development, Public Works Department, and Revenue.
Mr Pawar’s NCP is said to want at least an equal share, even if it won fewer seats. The party has pointed to a better ‘strike rate’ – i.e., percentage of seats contested and won – to back its claim.
Specifically, it wants the Finance portfolio – held previously by Mr Pawar – to be returned.
Unfortunately for the BJP there is a headache within a headache on this count, as the Sena is also believed to want the Finance ministry berth. And, unfortunately for Mr Shinde, that too is a wish unlikely to come to fruition, for Finance, Planning, and Irrigation may go to the NCP.
An overall framework for allocation of portfolios was reached last month; under this deal the BJP gets 22, the Sena around 12, and the NCP around nine.
Whatever the final deal is, it will have to be in place by December 16, for that is when the new Assembly meets for the first time, meaning a very short clock is in place for this second chapter of the Mahayuti 2.0 government formation.
