Eknath Shinde has demanded Home Ministry from BJP, portfolio allocation talks in progress: Sena MLA

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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde has demanded the crucial Home Department from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with talks on portfolio allocation currently underway, Shiv Sena Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Bharat Gogavale said on Friday.

Gogavale, an aide of Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, stated that the cabinet expansion is expected to take place between December 11 and 16, just before the winter session of the state legislature. The winter session will commence in Nagpur, the state's second capital, on December 16, news agency PTI reported.

"When Devendra Fadnavis was the deputy CM [in the Eknath Shinde-led government], he also held the Home Department. Saheb [Shinde] has demanded the Home Department, and talks [on portfolio allocation] are in progress," Gogavale said.

When asked to whom the demand was made, Gogavale suggested it was likely made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

According to PTI, the MLA from Mahad in Raigad district said that efforts are being made to revise the portfolios held by Shiv Sena in the previous Mahayuti government.

Gogavale expressed hope that the talks on portfolio allocation would be concluded in the next two days.

Fadnavis, who is from BJP, took the oath as CM for a third time on Thursday in a grand ceremony at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, while Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar (Nationalist Congress Party) were sworn in as his deputies.

Apart from the top three Mahayuti leaders, no other politicians were administered the oath of office at the ceremony.

The BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP are members of the Mahayuti coalition, which secured 230 seats in the 288-member assembly in last month's elections.

Skipped Mahayuti govt swearing-in as Parliament session is underway: Sharad Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday stated that he had been invited to the swearing-in of the new BJP-led government in Maharashtra but was unable to attend the ceremony owing to the ongoing Parliament session.

No prominent leader from the Opposition was present at the event in Mumbai on Thursday, where Devendra Fadnavis took the oath as CM.

"I received a call from the Chief Minister (Fadnavis). He called me himself, but as the Parliament session is underway, I told him it was not possible for me to leave the session. However, I extended my best wishes to the government," said Pawar, a veteran leader who has served as CM four times.

When asked about the perception that BJP ally and former CM Eknath Shinde had been sidelined during the government formation process, Pawar declined to comment. "I was in Delhi. I do not know what exactly happened," he said, according PTI.

Regarding the Opposition's strategy on the Electronic Voting Machine controversy, the NCP (SP) chief mentioned that discussions were ongoing, and after Monday, some leaders would meet to discuss the next steps.

(With PTI inputs)