Two Deputy CM’s post for alliances; Final call will be taken by Union Minister Amit Shah
Maharashtra’s political landscape is poised for a major shift as BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis is expected to reclaim the Chief Minister’s post. The BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party in the recently concluded Assembly elections with 132 seats out of 288, is now in a commanding position to lead the Mahayuti alliance. This alliance includes Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, which secured 57 seats, and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction, which won 41 seats.
Sources indicate that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has already thrown its weight behind Fadnavis as the ideal candidate for the Chief Minister’s position. However, the final decision will be made later today after a high-level meeting between BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and representatives of the three alliance partners.
Alliance Leaders Support Fadnavis for CM
Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, the heads of the Shiv Sena and NCP factions, have both expressed their willingness to support Fadnavis’s leadership. Ajit Pawar remarked, “We will jointly decide on the leadership to ensure a strong and stable government. Our party has no objection to Devendra Fadnavis becoming Chief Minister.”
An NCP spokesperson reinforced this sentiment, stating that the party’s “first preference” for the Chief Minister’s post is Fadnavis. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut commented that the decision regarding the CM’s post will ultimately be taken in Delhi. “With BJP alone having close to 140 MLAs and its allies around 100, the decision will be one-sided. It’s their internal matter,” he said, while also criticizing BJP’s track record of not always keeping its promises.
Power-Sharing Formula and Cabinet Portfolios
The Mahayuti alliance is currently engaged in negotiations to finalize the distribution of cabinet portfolios. As per initial discussions:
- BJP is likely to retain 18–20 portfolios, including major ministries like Finance, Home, and Road Transport.
- Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction is expected to secure 10 portfolios, with Industry being a key ministry.
- Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction is projected to control 8–10 portfolios, with Agriculture and Urban Development among the possible allocations.
