The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is working upon a formula by which it could keep twice the number of ministers than the Shiv Sena in the new Maharashtra cabinet.
Senior party leaders indicated that deliberations were going on for the same so that the BJP could have 26 ministers as against 13 from the Sena. Some other independents who have expressed support to the party could also be accommodated in the government along with representatives of the splinter groups, senior leaders said adding that so far more than half of the over seven Independents who have been elected to the Assembly have expressed support to the BJP.
“We are happy to share more seats with the Sena provided they are willing to accept berths in the central government. The BJP would want to the crucial keep Home and Revenue ministries,” said a senior BJP leader.
On Thursday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informally discussed the party’s future plans with select senior leaders. The meet was attended by BJP State unit president Chandrakant Patil; Kshitij Thakur of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi — which has three MLAs —; Shyamsundar Shinde of Peasants and Workers Party (PWP); Vinay Kore of the Jan Surajya Shakti; Ravi Rana, Independent MLA from Badnera constituency; Sanjay Mama Shinde from Karmala; Geeta Jain from Mira Bhayander; Mahesh Baldi from Uran; Kishore Jorgewar from Chandrapur; Vinod Agarwal from Gondia; Barshi MLA Rajendra Raut; and Prakash Anna Awhade of Ichalkaranji among other Independent candidates.
The MLAs reiterated support to the leadership of Mr. Fadnavis while discussing issues related to water and scarcity, including the loss and damage of crops due to unseasonal rain and steps taken by the State government to assist farmers. “I have instructed the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra to look into the situation and provide relief on an immediate basis,” said the Chief Minister.
The BJP re-elected Mr. Fadnavis as leader of the party in the Assembly on Wednesday. Paving way for his rise to the top job once again, all 105 newly elected legislators of the party had supported the proposal recommending Mr. Fadnavis’s name for the post in the presence of central observers and union minister Narendra Singh Tomar and party vice-president Avinash Khanna.
