Maharashtra Portfolio Allocation Set for Today, Says Shiv Sena Leader

Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogawale announced that portfolios in the Maharashtra government, led by the BJP-backed Mahayuti alliance, would be allocated on Saturday. The three-party Mahayuti alliance, headed by BJP's Devendra Fadnavis, with Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde and the Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Ajit Pawar as deputy chief ministers, is set to finalize the much-anticipated portfolio distribution. Gogawale also expressed his hope of being appointed as the guardian minister for Raigad, his home district.

Bharat Gogawale, who is a minister in the state government, mentioned that discussions on portfolio allocation took place on Friday, followed by a breakfast meeting with Chief Minister Fadnavis on Saturday morning. "There are no disagreements regarding the distribution of portfolios, and the decision will be acceptable to all parties," he told reporters in Nagpur.

The Mahayuti alliance formed the government after securing a dominant victory in the October 20 assembly elections, winning 230 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. The BJP secured 132 seats, Shiv Sena won 57, and NCP obtained 41.

However, the government formation was delayed. Shinde, who had served as the chief minister from June 2022 to October 2024, was reportedly reluctant to swap positions with Fadnavis. After negotiations, Shinde agreed to the swap but insisted on retaining the important Home Department portfolio, which according to reports, he remains firm on. On December 15, the top leaders of Mahayuti inducted 39 new ministers into the government, including 19 from the BJP, 11 from Shiv Sena, and 9 from NCP.