Devendra Fadnavis likely to be given Finance portfolio

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday asked the rebel MLAs to returnto the party claiming that the doors for them are still open. Aaditya was carrying out his Nishta yatra (Loyalty) yatra. Aaditya's appeal comes even as the Shiv Sena (Uddhav group) tries to tighten its hold over the party. On Sunday, the party announced that it had removed rebel Shiv Sena MLA Tanaji Sawant as the Sampark pramukh of Solapur district. Sawant is an MLA from Paranda constituency in Osmanabad.

Meanwhile the Maharashtra Legislative secretariat has sent show cause notices to both the factions of the Shiv Sena MLA asking them to respond within seven days on the other factions' petition to disqualify them. While both camps wait with bated breath for the Supreme Court ruling, the BJP is readying portfolios for its ministers and the talk in the BJP is that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis might get Finance and either irrigation or an infrastructure portfolio that would help BJP showcase its work in the next 2.5 years, said BJP leaders.

Fadnavis is keen on getting the Home Minister's portfolio. Meanwhile NCP Chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday clarified that he had never said that the Shinde- BJP government would not last its 2.5 year term. "I did not ask my cadres to be ready for midterm polls; I just told them that they should start working with an eye on the elections."said Pawar while speaking in Aurangabad.