Eknath Shinde pauses for weekend rest as power-sharing talks set to resume

Mahayuti leaders, including caretaker CM Eknath Shinde (second from right), met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday night in New Delhi

As it emerged that talks of government formation had gained momentum after the Mahayuti leaders' Thursday night meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took a sudden break on Friday to visit his native village in Satara district. The Mahayuti activities are expected to speed up after the weekend.

Call it an inauspicious Amavasya effect, or a dire need for rest in the wake of the poll verdict that has kept him out of the race for CM, Shinde's absence caused the deferring of a meeting to be held on Friday between him, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. The three stakeholders in Maharashtra's latest edition of the game of thrones would meet after Shinde's weekend recuperation. It is said they might travel to Delhi again. When asked, Shinde's party colleague Uday Samant said the CM had gone to his native to rest as he was not feeling well.

Thursday night in Delhi was action-packed. Fadnavis and Pawar had a separate meeting. Shah and Shinde had their own interaction before all the delegates met the home minister and BJP's National President J P Nadda. After the joint meeting, Shinde himself told the media persons in Delhi that the three would meet in Mumbai the next day. "Tonight's meeting was very positive. We discussed government formation. We met tonight, and we will meet tomorrow, too, in Mumbai," he said Thursday night, adding in a lighter vein that he was a caretaker CM and "I'm taking care of everybody."

Shambhuraj Desai, Sena leader and ex-minister

About his one-on-one meeting with Shah, Shinde said there was nothing more to it than government formation. "I have made my views clear at my press conference. I said my party would support Mahayuti's CM. The deadlock ended there," he said, further suggesting that the CM-elect would be known when the BJP held its Legislative Party meeting in a day or two. "The rest of the things will happen after that," he said. playing down the Fadnavis-Pawar meeting. "I would have been there but I arrived in Delhi later."

It is said that Shah had asked the state troika to work on further details of power sharing - the number of ministers and portfolios for the government which will have a CM and two DyCMs. As per common understanding, Ajit Pawar will be one DyCM, and Shinde or his representative the second one. The Sena and NCP are expected to get a Cabinet berth each in the Union government.

The BJP has kept the CM's name under wraps. Ex-CM and incumbent DyCM Devendra Fadnavis continued to be a hot favourite. People in the know said that the Central observers will visit Mumbai on Sunday or Monday to conduct the BJP's Legislative Party meeting, at which the BJP's CM nominee would be named formally.

Sena chief's demands

It is said Shinde has demanded more ministers and plum departments, such as home (now with Fadnavis), urban development (with him), finance (with Pawar) and also the speaker's post, than the 2022 arrangement. However, Shinde dodged a question on this. In 2023, portfolios held by BJP and Sena were given to Pawar and his nine ministers.

As mid-day had reported earlier, apart from home and finance, which hold key to the police department and state exchequer, major infrastructure-related and mass-appeal portfolios are in much demand. Having 75 seats more than the Sena and 91 more than the NCP, the BJP wants a bigger share in the council of ministers, which is capped at 43 berths. The previous government had 29 ministers, with Sena's 10 cabinet ministers, including the CM, while BJP's had 10 Cabinet members including DyCM. Ajit Pawar's NCP's share was nine cabinet berths. Unlike its predecessor, the new arrangement would have junior ministers, too.

Meanwhile, Sena leader and ex-minister Shambhuraj Desai said it was the party leaders' and workers' demand that Shinde be part of the forthcoming government, be it as DyCM. "We, in the Sena, feel that considering his long experience and the pro-people decisions he made, Shinde must be part of the government. The Mahayuti must benefit from Shinde's experience, and we are demanding it," said Desai.

132
No. of Assembly seats won by BJP

57
No. of Assembly seats won by Shinde Sena