Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Photo: PTI Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Photo: PTI 
Tensions are simmering within Maharashtra’s newly formed government. The swearing-in of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar has sparked a fierce battle over portfolio distribution. Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) has raised alarms over the allocation of key ministries, including a high-stakes demand for the Home Ministry.
Reportedly made by Shinde to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership, the demand echoes a similar arrangement from the previous government. It has fueled a bitter rift between allies and has left the Cabinet’s final structure hanging in the balance.
Ahead of the swearing-in of Fadnavis, Shinde and Pawar as members of the legislative assembly at a special session of the House, Shiv Sena (Shinde) leader Uday Samant spoke with the media and addressed concerns over the division of ministries.
“Who is to be made a minister or not is actually the call of the chief minister. The CM will sit with both deputy chief ministers and make a decision on that. Who has said that we want the Home Ministry? The chief minister and deputy chief ministers will decide on the portfolios. All three leaders will sit and decide when the cabinet will be expanded," Samant told reporters, according to news agency ANI.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena confirmed on Friday that its leader had requested the crucial Home Ministry from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Talks were being held between the three Mahayuti allies regarding portfolio allocation.
“When Fadnavis was the deputy CM (in the previous Shinde-led government), he also held the home department. Now, Saheb has demanded the same arrangement and talks (on portfolio allocation) are in progress,” Bharatshet Gogawale, a Shiv Sena leader, was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
Gogawale added, “The demand was probably made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah. We hope the talks on portfolios will be over in the next two days.”
The new government was sworn in on December 5. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis returned as the chief minister and Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oaths as deputy chief ministers.
However, the ceremony was marred by political tensions. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray declared that MLAs from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would boycott the oath-taking ceremony.
"Today, we have decided that our winning MLA will not take an oath today. We have doubts about EVMs, and we are not taking an oath today in protest. Democracy is being murdered," Thackeray said. The MVA's decision came amid allegations of tampering with electronic voting machines (EVMs), as reported by NDTV.
The move coincided with a special three-day session of the newly constituted 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assemblystrike33, which began on December 5. The session, presided over by Pro-tem Speaker Kalidas Kolambkar, includes the oath administration for MLAs, the election of the assembly speaker, a trust vote for the new government and an address by the Governor. Kolambkar, a senior BJP MLA, was appointed pro-tem speaker by Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Friday.