When BJP chief minister Devendra Fadnavis allocated ministerial portfolios on Sunday, it had one message for the Shiv Sena: if you want to form a coalition, welcome, but only on our own terms. For his competitors within the BJP, Fadnavis has sent a stern message by very clearly setting the hierarchy. Revenue minister Eknath Khadse will be his No. 2. Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar will be next in the totem pole. Education minister Vinod Tawade will enjoy the fourth position.
In all, there are nine ministers. And Fadnavis has decided to keep certain portfolios, including the all-important home and urban development ministries.
So, what happens to the Sena now?
"We will not be running after them," said a Sena leader said. But in an indication they still nurture hopes, he said: "The BJP can always re-allocate portfolios, though we are not going to wait for a long time. Talks will go forward." With the BJP scheduled to prove its majority on the floor of the House by this week, time is running out.
Has the Sena changed its demands now?
No. "We want 15 ministerial berths and the deputy chief minister's post," the Sena leader insisted. But these numbers could be negotiated, he said. "There has to be some logic in the division of portfolios. The Sena is clearly unhappy with the BJP's attempt to corner all prominent portfolios while leaving only the subordinate ones to the Sena," he said.
What are the ministries the Sena want now?
"If the BJP keeps finance, the Sena must get revenue. If they keep urban development, we must get rural development and the Sena will seek the home portfolio, if the BJP keeps revenue and so on," the Sena leader said. He said the Sena will not settle for just a few ornamental departments.
What is the BJP saying?
BJP insiders have termed the allocation of portfolios as a politically mature exercise. Party insiders have appreciated the allocation of portfolios and Fadnavis has chosen the right men for the right ministries.
Why is the CM keeping the home portfolio with himself?
Outgoing leader of the opposition the state legislative council, Vinod Tawade was said to be eager for the powerful home portfolio. During the campaign, Tawade had said that he will arrest Ajit Pawar after assuming office as home minister. It was this announcement that prompted Fadnavis to keep the porfolio with himself for now. The party and government want to send a clear signal that no individual is bigger than them.
Did the BJP central leadership play any role?
The BJP's central leadership, which has reposed faith in Fadnavis, is sending a clear signal that no one is bigger than the party and everyone would have to fall in line, said a senior leader. He pointed out that while party president Amit Shah brought the Sena to the table for discussions, Fadnavis played a key role in convincing the Sena to make up its mind fast.
Will the Sena play second fiddle?
The BJP has 122 legislators in the Lower House, as compared to the Shiv Sena's 63, and has managed to anoint Devendra Fadnavis as the first BJP chief minister in the only second non-Congress government in Maharashtra since 1960. Incidentally, the BJP had contested just 119 seats in the 2009 assembly polls, less than the number of seats it has won now. Even if the Shiv Sena and the BJP join hands, the former will have to accept a drastic cut in its powers and take a subordinate role in the alliance.
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