Shinde, Fadnavis to meet BJP leadership to finalise state cabinet

New Delhi, July 8: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be in the national capital on Friday to meet the BJP central leadership and finalise the allocation of portfolios in the new state cabinet.

It is learnt that Shinde and Fadnavis are likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief J.P. Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah. Sources said that Shinde and Fadnavis will meet the top BJP leadership and discuss the new cabinet of Maharashtra government.

"Key agenda to the meeting of Shinde and Fadnavis with the BJP central leadership is to finalise the allocation of portfolios and ministerial quota of both the parties," sources said. Party insiders claimed that Shinde and Fadnavis have already held an initial discussion about the possible shape of the new cabinet of Maharashtra and it will be presented before the BJP central leadership for final approval.

According to party sources, 14 ministers will be from the Shiv Sena camp headed by Shinde and the rest 28 from BJP. On June 30, a day after Uddhav Thackeray's resignation, Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra. On Thursday, Shinde assumed charge as the Chief Minister, almost a week after he was administered the oath of office along with Fadnavis.

On June 20 after the Legislative Council polls, Shinde revolted against Shiv Sena supremo and then-Chief Minister Thackeray. The political crisis ended with the resignation of Thackeray from the post of chief minister on June 29.