Fadnavis, Ajit reach Delhi to finalise portfolios, sulking Shinde stays back

MUMBAI: After reaching a consensus on the sharing of ministerial berths and the top three portfolios, Maharashtra's three ruling parties have sought the intervention of central BJP leaders on certain contentious issues that remain.

- Yogesh Naik

There is still a dispute over certain departments, to resolve which chief minister Devendra Fadnavis proceeded to Delhi on Wednesday for a two-day visit. Fadnavis was accompanied by deputy CM Ajit Pawar but an aggrieved Eknath Shinde chose not to go.

In their meetings over the past few days, Fadnavis, Shinde and Ajit have agreed on 22 berths going to the BJP, 11 to the Shiv Sena and 10 to the NCP. The maximum strength of the ministerial council permissible in Maharashtra, including the chief minister, is 43.

The number of berths per party could still change. According to BJP leaders, if the Sena and NCP push for more berths, they will have to settle for comparatively insignificant portfolios. As regards the key portfolios, the BJP has kept the home department while the revenue department too is expected to be retained by it.

Shinde, who was pushing for home, has been given the urban development department, while the finance department will go to the NCP.

Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were to meet union home minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. Shinde too was expected to attend the meeting but, significantly, chose not to go. According to his close aides, apart from the urban development department, he was offered no other significant portfolio. He was keen on a few departments-revenue, public works, including MSRDC, housing and energy-but the BJP did not accept the demand. Shinde is also unhappy with the BJP's condition that he drop leaders who faced corruption charges in the last government.