Maharashtra cabinet to have 25 ministers from BJP, 13 from team Shinde
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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is likely to have 45 ministers, most belonging to ally BJP.
In the new cabinet, 25 ministers will be from the BJP, 13 from Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, say sources. The rest will be independent.
Apart from the Chief Minister and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis - a former Chief Minister - most ministers will be new.
The BJP is likely to keep the key home, finance, and revenue portfolios and cede the urban development and irrigation portfolios to the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena in its cabinet-sharing arrangement, said sources.
The BJP, say sources, wants to test new faces before it preps for the next Maharashtra election.
Eknath Shinde, 48, took power as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra after leading a coup in the Shiv Sena, which brought down the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Devendra Fadnavis joined him as his Deputy, despite speculation that it would be the other way round.
The formula between the Shinde Sena and the BJP is being finalized, sources say. The Sena will get a ministry for every three MLAs and the BJP will get a post for every four MLAs, according to the formula.
The final decision will be taken only after the Supreme Court verdict on July 11 on the possible disqualification of 16 MLAs, including Shinde.
The Supreme Court hearing will decide on the validity of disqualification notices sent by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to 16 from the rebel camp - which now claims it is the real Sena as team Thackeray is a minority.