Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar may get finance ministry, say reports
What's the story
Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra's new deputy chief minister, will get the finance ministry in the portfolio distribution, News18 reported, quoting sources. This comes after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader on Wednesday met Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi to seek his help in cabinet expansion. Pawar and eight other MLAs of the NCP were inducted as ministers in a surprise ceremony on July 2.
Issues
Pawar was promised finance: Sources
Sources told News18 that Pawar, who was earlier promised the finance ministry, did not seek any other key portfolio like the urban development or home department. Now, the issue lies in the redistribution of portfolios among the ministers of the CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction. The group had believed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s portfolios would be handed over to the NCP.
More information
Shiv Sena MLAs upset due to reshuffling
The sources further said the Shiv Sena's portfolios were also being considered for reshuffling, which has upset its 22 MLAs. Notably, Pawar was the finance minister in the then-CM Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. One of the reasons for Shinde and his supporters' revolt in 2022 is said to be Pawar's decision not to give them funds easily.
Details
Tough task for Shinde to choose ministers: BJP leader
The Maharashtra government can have 43 ministers at most. According to News18, the cabinet currently has 29 ministers, and the list of ministerial candidates has been growing. A senior BJP leader told the publication that Shinde may consider factors like caste while picking ministers. "It would be a very difficult task for CM Shinde to choose the cabinet ministers," he said.