Maharashtra government formula finalised but few issues yet to be resolved: 5 key points

Thursday was a day of parleys in Delhi. The top leaders of Mahayuti landed in the national capital and held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah till late in the night. Before meeting Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar together, Shah had a one-on-one meeting with Shinde. At the same time, Fadnavis met Pawar. The outcome of these meetings has not been officially announced, but sources say that a formula has been arrived at to proceed with the government formation.

Live updates: Maharashtra government formation

Here are the 5 latest updates

1. As per the agreement between the allies, the "One CM + 2 DCM" pattern will be repeated in Maharashtra. The CM will be from the BJP, whereas the two DCM posts will be shared by the Shiv Sena and NCP.
2. Being the largest party in the alliance, the BJP will get 22 ministries, followed by Shiv Sena with 12 and NCP with 9 ministries. However, it is not yet clear whether all the ministers will take oath at the first swearing-in ceremony or if only the CM, DCMs, and select leaders will take the oath, with another ceremony to be organised later for the rest.
3. According to reports, the swearing-in ceremony is likely to be held between December 2 and December 8. This means that the announcement of the new chief minister is likely to happen either today or tomorrow.
4. However, one of the major issues to be resolved is Shinde's participation in the government. The BJP wants Shinde to occupy the post, but Shinde is not keen as it will send a message that he is being demoted. He could nominate some other leader. The general sentiment within the Shiv Sena is that Shinde should be part of the government as Deputy CM. Efforts are ongoing to convince him. Some political observers view this as Shinde's bargaining tactic.
5. The issue of portfolios also remains to be resolved. As per sources, the Shiv Sena wants Home, Urban Development, Public Works, and a few other key portfolios. The BJP is not willing to give up the Home portfolio. The NCP has demanded Finance and a few other ministries. Apart from preferred portfolios in the Maharashtra cabinet, the Shiv Sena and NCP have demanded an extra berth each in the Union Cabinet as well. No decision on portfolio sharing was made in the meeting with Amit Shah, and the leaders have been asked to sit together in Mumbai today to resolve the issue at their level.

BJP's legislature party meeting on Sunday

As far as the appointment of the new CM is concerned, the BJP's newly elected legislators will meet on Sunday to elect the Legislative Party leader. Whoever is elected will become the CM by default. However, a senior Shiv Sena leader has remarked that although Shinde, on Wednesday, told the BJP that it could go ahead with the government formation process and he would not be a hindrance, Shinde still remains a contender for the post. The BJP's top leadership is reputed for giving shocks, he asserted.