NEW DELHI: CM-designate Devendra Fadnavis visited Varsha – the chief minister’s official residence, on Wednesday evening to once again persuade caretaker CM Eknath Shinde to join govt as deputy chief minister and finalise the power-sharing formula.
Sources said that Shinde agreed to take oath as deputy CM with Fadnavis’s assurance that the portfolio allocation would be fair and could be finalised after the formation of the government.
Sources said Shiv Sena is still keen on getting the important home portfolio.
NCP, which is keen on the finance portfolio for deputy CM Ajit Pawar, is likely to get around 8-10 ministerial berths. Among the likely portfolios are cooperation, agriculture, food and civil supplies, ports, relief and rehabilitation, irrigation, social justice, and women and child development. These are portfolios that have a public interface and are linked to rural voters, the party’s main base.
Wednesday was the second consecutive day that Fadnavis called on Shinde at Varsha, first to convince him to join the Mahayuti govt as deputy CM and then to finalise a possible power-sharing formula. The meeting lasted for over 30 minutes.
A Shiv Sena functionary said that only the chief minister and two deputy CMs are likely to take oath on Thursday evening, and the wider cabinet will be finalised after the govt formation. The two are also said to have discussed other portfolios and the wider power-sharing formula in the Mahayuti govt.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Kiran Pawaskar did not respond to calls and texts by TOI on Wednesday evening.
Shiv Sena is seeking the deputy CM’s post, the home portfolio, and wants to retain all its nine existing ministries. These include the all-important industries and urban development portfolio.
Shiv Sena is also keen on energy, revenue, irrigation and PWD. Shiv Sena functionaries said that when Shinde was CM, BJP bagged all these ministries, so when BJP bags the CM’s post, Sena should get the plum departments in the same ratio.
“We are willing to concede some of the ministries as certain other things have been brought to the table. So we are still asking for the home portfolio and other key portfolios. Shinde is joining govt, but portfolio allocation will happen after that. It is not the case that we have given up the home portfolio,” a Sena functionary said.
“There are a lot of issues to be discussed, such as number of ministers and portfolio allocation. They may also speak to the BJP brass. We want Eknath Shinde to join govt,” said Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat.