Sena firm on Home portfolio, clarity on Maharashtra cabinet formation by Dec 8

Eknath Shindeled Shiv Senas insistence on the Home Ministry and the clarity on the composition of the Maharashtra council of ministers is expected by Sunday sources said reported the PTIThe expansion of the Devendra Fadnavisled cabinet is likely to take place on December 11 or 12Despite Mahayuti comprising the BJP Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawaled NCP securing a massive mandate in last months assembly elections the new chief minister took oath after 12 days on December 5 apparently due to the internal pulls and pressureWith Devendra Fadnavis firm in the saddle as the CM and Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar taking oath as Deputy CMs the focus is now shifted to the formation of the new Cabinet which is likely to be tricky sources indicated on SaturdayLeaders like Uday Samant and Sanjay Shirsat had openly demanded the allocation of the Home Ministry to the Shiv Sena after former chief minister Eknath Shinde finally accepted it and agreed to become a Deputy CM under Devendra FadnavisThe composition of the cabinet including the allocation of portfolios is being discussed in the internal meetings of all three allies of Mahayuti and among the leaders of the alliance sources in the BJP and NCP said as per the PTIThe huge electoral mandate has created a problem of plenty for the Mahayuti coalition as each ally performed well at the hustingsThe Mahayuti won 230 seats in the 288member House while the opposition MVA comprising Congress Shiv Sena UBT and NCP SP could bag only 46The BJP which leads the Mahayuti tally with 132 seats is expected to keep 2122 ministerial posts including the chief minister for itself The Shiv Sena may get 11 to 12 portfolios and Ajit Pawarled Nationalist Congress Party may be allotted nine to 10 berths according to sources reported the PITThe Maharashtra cabinet including the chief minister can have a maximum of 43 ministersA final decision on the number of ministers to take oath in the Cabinet expansion will be taken in two to three days a senior BJP leader told PTIDevendra Fadnavis left for Akole in Ahilyanagar district on Saturday to attend the funeral of BJP leader Madhukar Pichad who passed away on Friday He returned to Mumbai later in the eveningThe threeday special session of the 15th Maharashtra legislative assembly began on December 7 with several newlyelected members being sworn in by protemSpeaker Kalidas Kolambkar on the first day except members of the Opposition partiesThe Speakers election is scheduled for December 9 followed by a Trust Vote for the new government and the Governors address to a joint session of both HousesThe winter session of the state legislature is set to commence from Nagpur on December 16with PTI inputs