Sena, NCP In Tussle Over Portfolio Redistribution; Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel In Delhi To Meet BJP Leaders

The disagreement and consequent deadlock in Maharashtra between the Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, over cabinet portfolios will now be resolved in Delhi before the leadership of the BJP.

Pawar, accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel, have reportedly traveled to Delhi on Wednesday (July 12) afternoon to meet with the top leadership of the BJP. They aim to finalize the allocation of portfolios, which will also involve redistributing the portfolios currently held by ministers from the BJP and Shiv Sena.

On Wednesday, both Shinde and Fadnavis remained out of the public eye for the entire day. They were only seen during the evening at the meeting of the State Economic Development Council.

There were speculations that both would travel to Delhi after the council's program to participate in the meeting regarding cabinet expansion and portfolio redistribution. However, as of now, both are still in Mumbai.

According to reports, the Sena and NCP have been unable to reach an agreement regarding portfolio redistribution.

The NCP ministers convened a meeting at Devgiri, the official residence of Sharad Pawar, earlier yesterday. Following the meeting, Sunil Tatkare, Lok Sabha MP of the NCP, assured reporters that the situation was well under control.

He further stated that the cabinet expansion and distribution of portfolios would be completed by today (Thursday, July 13) evening.

Tatkare addressed the media after the meeting, emphasizing the commitment of all three parties to work together. He acknowledged that certain matters might require additional time, but stressed that they had resolved to move forward without any confusion or misunderstandings.

In a taunting remark, MLA Jitendra Awhad, a supporter of NCP president Sharad Pawar, referred to Ajit Pawar as a "subedar" who had lost his power in the state. Tatkare responded by dismissing the importance of individuals like Awhad and advised against taking them seriously.

During a press conference in Delhi, Patel clarified that the meeting was merely a formality following the NCP's participation in the state government. He stated that they would be meeting with Amit Shah, but emphasized that it had no connection to the reallocation of cabinet portfolios.