Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has scheduled a meeting tonight with his deputies, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, signaling that the discontent within the Shiv Sena and the BJP has largely been addressed. The purpose of the meeting is to finalise the government's roadmap moving forward.
Although the NCP MLAs were inducted into the cabinet last Sunday, there has been no indication of portfolio allocation in the past five days. The sudden entry of the NCP into the alliance had caused dissatisfaction among the Shiv Sena and BJP MLAs. CM Shinde held a meeting with party MLAs and ministers on Wednesday night, followed by an extensive meeting with Fadnavis on Thursday night. Fadnavis, in turn, met with his party MLAs and ministers earlier today (Friday), and the CM is scheduled to meet both of his deputies tonight. Government sources had already hinted that portfolio allocation is likely to be announced over the weekend, along with the possibility of a small cabinet expansion and reshuffling.
Against this backdrop, the meeting tonight signifies that the discontent among the MLAs, which had hindered the implementation of the power-sharing formula, has been addressed. The parties have overcome the obstacles and reached a common meeting ground. The path is now clear for the three-party government to function, and any minor differences that arise will be addressed in due course while running the government.