Swearing-in ceremony of Shiv Sena, BJP ministers to take place on Friday

Sources confirmed that cabinet size will remain moderate as CM Devendra Fadnavis is not willing to fill up all 36 berths on Friday.

Fadnavis has said he has not become the chief minister to sit on files but for speedy execution of works.

The swearing-in ceremony of Shiv Sena and BJP ministers will take place on Friday morning. Highly placed sources in BJP and Sena confirmed that cabinet size will remain moderate as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is not willing to fill up all 36 berths on Friday.

The BJP has urged Sena to give the list of only seven to eight ministers out of 12 promised to them. Similarly, BJP will also induct only seven to nine candidates. Thus the vacancies which remain would be filled up after the three weeks winter session at Nagpur ends on December 24.

The Sena ministers who are in the reckoning include Eknath Shinde, Diwakar Raote, Subash Desai, Ramdas Kadam, Neelam Gorhe, Vaibhav Naik et al.

The Sena has been given five cabinet rank and seven ministers of state. The portfolios for cabinet rank ministers which have been agreed mutually includes –industry, health, environment, Public Works Department (MSRDC) and excise.

Insiders in the BJP disclosed, “ The BJP had made it clear to the Sena that they would not like to negotiate on portfolios like home, urban
development, finance, general administration, rural development and revenue.” Interestingly, urban development, home, GAD are held by
Fadnavis.

The BJP is willing to give energy portfolio to Sena. But the Sena is not very keen on the portfolio.

Interestingly, BJP has also ensured that even junior rank ministers (MoS) of Sena are not given important portfolios like home, urban
development and finance. But it has agreed to accommodate Sena MoS in revenue, water resources, women and child development et al.

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However, Sena which was keen all 12 ministers are included in the cabinet on Friday has urged BJP to make its promise public. A Sena
functionary said, “ We understand chief minister wants to keep a moderate expansion on Friday ahead of winter session. But we want them to announce in public their promise of 12 ministers.”

The BJP’s decision to keep vacancies is to diffuse unrest as number of aspirants seeking ministerial post outnumbers the size. Fadnavis has
submitted a list of probable candidates who would become the ministers to all India party president Amit Shah on Wednesday.

Sources said, “ The BJP candidates for ministers are Girish Bapat, Girish Mahajan, Jaiprakash Rawal, Subash Deshmukh, Chandrashekhar
Bawankule, Ram Shinde, Mangalprabhat Lodha et al.”

The BJP which has 9 council of miister lead by Fadnavis is also under pressure to accommodate atleast two candidates from its smaller
alliance partners namely Republican Party of India and Rashtriya Samaj Party.