Shinde stalling, may delay cabinet formation

MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is hoping to expand his cabinet by Saturday, but deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde is stalling, bargaining for a greater role for the Shiv Sena in the new Mahayuti alliance government.

- Surendra P Gangan

The failure of the three Mahayuti allies to reach a consensus on power-sharing could potentially derail Fadnavis's plans for a full cabinet expansion before the winter session of the state legislature.

Shinde is still bargaining hard for key portfolios for the Shiv Sena and the number of ministerial berths to be allotted to his party. Although, by all indications, Fadnavis will keep the key home portfolio for himself, Shinde is still pushing hard for it. With no clarity on these critical issues, only a partial cabinet expansion may be possible by Saturday.

The three allies in the Mahayuti government have been trying to arrive at a power-sharing arrangement ever since the coalition swept to power on November 23. On December 5, only the chief minister and his two deputies, Shinde and the Nationalist Congress Party's Ajit Pawar, took oath of office. No other ministers have been sworn in since.

No consensus