BJP eyes home, 20 other portfolios; Ajit Pawar may retain power ministry. Shinde has plan-B ready?

As suspense lingers on who will be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the Mahayuti allies are currently zeroing in on the power-sharing formula for the state government. The BJP is eyeing 20 heavyweight portfolios and the Home department. 

The Shiv Sena might get 12 portfolios whereas the NCP might walk away with 10 portfolios. Ajit Pawar could likely retain power, India Today reported citing sources. 

Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde reportedly has his plan B ready in case he's not made the CM. No observers have been pointed for now and the BJP has adopted a wait-and-watch approach as of now. 

In case he is not made the Chief Minister, Shinde demanded the Home Ministry and the Urban Development department during a meeting of the Shiv Sena leaders with Devendra Fadnavis last night. 

Bolstering Shinde's pitch for the Home Ministry in the state government, Shiv Sena MLC Manisha Kayande wrote on X: "Ek'nath' Hain toh Safe Hain!"

Despite the Mahayuti winning a resounding majority in Maharashtra, the ruling alliance is faced with disagreements over the next CM. While the RSS and Ajit Pawar-led NCP have backed Fadnavis for the top post, Shiv Sena has pitched for the continuation of Shinde as the CM. 

NDA ally Ramdas Athawale has also backed Fadnavis as the next Maharashtra CM. He suggested that Shinde should either become the Deputy CM or join the Central government. 

Athawale claimed that Eknath Shinde is a bit "unhappy" after he came to know the BJP high command has finalised Fadnavis as the next CM. 

Accompanied by Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Shinde met Governor CP Radhakrishnan and submitted his resignation as the Maharashtra Chief Minister on Tuesday. After this, the Governor requested Shinde to continue as the caretaker CM until the new chief minister is sworn in. 

The Mahayuti comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP won 230 out of the total 288 assembly seats in the state. The BJP won 132 seats, the Shiv Sena won on 57 seats whereas the NCP bagged 41. 

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was reduced to just 46 seats in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena (UBT) was the star performer in the MVA with 20 seats in its kitty. The Congress and the NCP(SP) secured 16 and 10 seats, respectively. 

(With inputs from Mustafa Shaikh)