According to insiders, in order to compensate for the Chief Minister position, the BJP is expected to award the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, 12 cabinet seats in Maharashtra, including three high-profile positions. According to the sources, the third party in the Mahayuti alliance, the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, might receive nine cabinet seats. The Chief Minister and up to 43 other ministers may serve in Maharashtra, and the BJP is probably going to retain half of the seats.
Three important ministries—Urban Development, Public Works Department, and Water Resources—are probably going to go to Mr. Shinde, who has reluctantly agreed to the BJP’s plan to select the chief minister from within its ranks. According to earlier reports from news agencies, the BJP will pick the next chief minister, and the Sena and NCP may each nominate two deputy chief ministers. According to sources, Ajit Pawar has informed his party leaders that this weekend could be the date of the swearing-in ceremony.
Mr. Shinde declared Wednesday that his party would back Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah’s choice of the new Maharashtra Chief Minister, following days of political posturing by Sena officials. He promised not to be a “obstacle.” Aside from the grandstanding, Mr. Shinde has no power to demand the top position. According to reports, the NCP has thrown its support behind the larger brother, the BJP, which has won 132 seats. This means it does not need Mr Shinde’s support to reach the majority mark in the 288-seat Assembly.
Shiv Sena (UBT) has made fun of Mr. Shinde, whose uprising broke the Sena and overthrew the Uddhav Thackeray government, when it becomes evident that the BJP will run for the position of chief minister. Ambadas Danve, the party leader, told PTI that Mr. Shinde cannot put pressure on the BJP because it makes its own decisions. Prior to this, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut stated that the BJP would not offer Mr. Shinde the position of chief minister because he had fulfilled his duties in Mahayuti.
Devendra Fadnavis, the state’s tallest party leader and a former chief minister, is the front-runner for the position of chief minister, but the BJP has not yet made its announcement. One of the main architects of the Mahayuti triumph in this election is thought to have been the Nagpur South-West MLA. Even though the BJP was the larger partner in the alliance, Mr. Fadnavis had reluctantly accepted to be Number 2 when the mutiny led by Mr. Shinde overthrew the Uddhav Thackeray government. In light of this, BJP members want him to serve as chief minister this time around in order to guide the party to its greatest performance in Maharashtra. According to reports, Mr. Fadnavis has also received the NCP’s endorsement as chief minister.
The BJP, meanwhile, is also looking to balance caste equations. Home Minister Amit Shah met senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde to understand if the replacement of Mr Shinde with Mr Fadnavis will rile up the Maratha community. Mr. Fadnavis is a Brahmin, whereas Mr. Shinde is a Maratha. Manoj Jarange-Patil, a Maratha leader, had previously referred to Mr. Fadnavis as a “Maratha-hater” during the community’s fight for reservation. It seems that before making a formal announcement, the BJP wants to clear up any ambiguities.
