Here is a look at Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis’ possible formula for the new Cabinet of Ministers:
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Cabinet could include several new faces (PTI photo)
With their positions now cemented, new Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis must appoint a new Cabinet of Ministers while navigating the complex equations of who gets what portfolio and which party gets how many ministerial berths.
According to sources, the new Maharashtra Cabinet led by Eknath Shinde will have at least 42 ministers. The Shinde camp is likely to get eight cabinet berths and five Ministers of State, while the BJP will aim for 29 berths. Several new faces are likely to be inducted.
Sources said that Shinde is pressing to retain the portfolios previously held by the MLAs in his camp before they defected from the erstwhile Maha Vikas Agadhi government. This is because now ousted CM Uddhav Thackeray put on hold all important decisions taken by the rebel ministers in the last one month.
Moreover, the Shinde camp wants its Independents to be included in the cabinet from the BJP’s quota. This includes Prahar Janshakti MLA Bachhu Kadu.
Here is a look at Shinde and Fadnavis’ possible formula for the Maharashtra Cabinet:
PROBABLE MINISTERS FORM SHINDE CAMP
- Dada Bhuse
- Gulabrao Patil
- Sandeepan Bhumre
- Uday Samant
- Shambhuraj Desai
- Abdul Sattar
- Rajendra Patil Yedraokar
- Bachhu Kadu [Shinde camp wants berth for him from BJP quota]
NEW FACES
- Deepak Kesarkar
- Prakash Abitkar
- Sanjay Raimulkar
- Sanjay Shirsath
- Pratap Sarnaik
The Shinde camp is also pressing for important civic bodies like the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) or the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), said to be the richest government body in the country.
Earlier today, Eknath Shinde officially took charge as Maharashtra Chief Minister at the state secretariat Mantralaya, a week after he was administered the oath of office along with deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
The development came about after the three-party MVA government collapsed on June 29 following the resignation of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. He had been asked to prove his majority in a floor test after senior leader Eknath Shinde decamped with 40 rebel MLAs.
However, the political crisis in Maharashtra seems far from over. NCP chief Sharad Pawar has pronounced that the Shinde-BJP government will collapse and mid-term elections will be held in the state in the next six months.
Meanwhile, Uddhav loyalists and the Shinde faction are locked in a tussle, claiming their respective group represents the original Shiv Sena.
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