Eknath Shinde Eyes Home Portfolio in Devendra Fadnavis-Led Maharashtra Government

Eknath Shinde: Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde reiterated on Friday that its leader has asked for critical home portfolio to be given to BJP. Further, the three alliance partners of Mahayuti were discussing the allocation of portfolios.

Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party are the members of Mahayuti, which had completely won the election in, last month, assembly polls. Devendra Fadnavis took the oath as chief minister of the party with Eknath Shinde, and Pawar and his deputy, on the 12th day after the announcement of results.

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“When Fadnavis was the deputy CM (in the previous Shinde-led government), he also held the home department. Now, Saheb has demanded the same arrangement and talks (on portfolio allocation) are in progress,” news agency PTI quoted Gogavale as saying.

The Raigad MLA added, “The demand was probably made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah. We hope the talks on portfolios would be over in the next two days.”

Reports say that Shinde was "reluctant" to accept the post of deputy CM but was convinced by Sena leaders for the position. However, he is adamant for the home department, to which the state police report.

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Maratha strongman Thane challenged then-chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, irked with a joint Shiv Sena, in June, 2022. This not only gave the vertical split in the political party, but also brought down the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Shinde then became chief minister by the help of BJP, which was erstwhile ally of Thackeray. Fadnavis, so far a former CM, was made deputy of Shinde, while Pawar joined them in July 2023.

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