The political landscape in Maharashtra has been recently stirred by the demand of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for the finance department portfolio within the state cabinet.
His pursuit of this particular ministry has become a matter to be resolved through discussions with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde following his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
However, sources indicate that Shah has declined to intervene, advising Pawar to settle the issue of cabinet portfolio allocations through discussions with Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The CM of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, and his two deputies, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, talked about expanding the government and allocating portfolios:
#Maharashtra cabinet expansion and portfolio allocations discussed between CM #EknathShinde and his deputies #DevendraFadnavis and #AjitPawar. Watch for more details
@Sriya_Kundu | @vinivdvc pic.twitter.com/5e0V2WzDNi
— News18 (@CNNnews18) July 12, 2023
Consensus on Cabinet Portfolios
Despite two days of deliberations between CM Eknath Shinde, Fadnavis, and Pawar, no consensus has been reached regarding reallocating cabinet portfolios in Maharashtra. The top three state leaders continued discussions on Thursday, striving to agree.
The induction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) into the state government has necessitated adjustments in portfolio allocation, with implications for the BJP’s pre-decided share.
This change in power dynamics is considered a setback for Fadnavis, while Shinde is poised to benefit from the current political situation.
Some ministers within Shinde’s Shiv Sena, including State Excise Minister Shamburaj Desai and independent MLA Bacchu Kadu, have expressed reservations about the finance portfolio being granted to the NCP.
Kadu specifically raised concerns about past discrimination in fund allocation for their constituencies when Ajit Pawar held the finance portfolio under the previous MVA government. The Shinde faction had separated from the undivided Shiv Sena due to their inability to work alongside the Congress and NCP parties.
Power Dynamics and Speculations
Contrary to media speculations regarding the possibility of Pawar becoming the Chief Minister, the current political situation in Maharashtra favors the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
The party is expected to retain all the cabinet portfolios as agreed upon when the political formation came to power over a year ago. While Fadnavis may experience a reduced footprint in the state council of ministers, the overall power balance appears to favor the Shiv Sena.
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The ongoing political developments in Maharashtra highlight the complex dynamics within the state’s government. Ajit Pawar’s pursuit of the finance portfolio and the subsequent discussions with Chief Minister Shinde underscore the challenges in portfolio allocation.
With Union Home Minister Amit Shah refraining from involvement, it is now up to the concerned parties to reach a resolution. The evolving power dynamics and potential consequences for Fadnavis and the BJP will shape the future political landscape of Maharashtra.
