The Shiv Sena, which formally joined the BJP government in Maharashtra with 10 ministers on Friday, is not expected to get major portfolios.
Senior Sena leaders such as Subash Desai and Diwakar Raote have joined the Cabinet, but they may have to settle for ministries such as Public Works Department, Forest and Water Conservation.
In Maharashtra’s legislative history, it is the first instance of an opposition party joining the ruling party in an alliance government.
The patch-up between the two parties will give stability to the alliance with 183 seats, comfortably surpassing the halfway mark by 39 seats. The oath ceremony was held on the Assembly grounds here on Friday.
Important ministries such as Home, Finance and Revenue will firmly remain with the BJP. A list outlining the Sena portfolio has been vetted by party chief Uddhav Thackeray and been handed over in a sealed cover to the Governor.
A Sena source said partys MLA from Jogeshwari Ravindra Waikar has been named Minister of State for Housing Development while Vijay Shivtare from Purandar near Pune has been given MoS for Water Conservation.
Desai’s elevation to the Cabinet was unexpected, as he had lost the election in October. However, his proximity to Uddhav has won him the coveted position, the source said.
BJP also inducted five of its MLAs as Cabinet ministers and another five as MoS.
Other prominent Shiv Sena MLAs who took the oath are DD Ghuse, Deepak Sawant, Eknath Shinde and Ramdas Kadam. From the BJP, prominent leaders such as Girish Mahajan, Girish Bapat and Chandrashekhar Bavankule have been made Cabinet ministers.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told media persons that smaller alliance parties such as the RPI, Shiv Sangram and Rashtriya Samaj will be inducted in the government after the Winter Session of the legislature.