Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena Still In Race To Get Home Ministry? Maharashtra CM Fadnavis Says...

Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Thursday took the oath of office as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. It was only during the swearing-in ceremony that Shinde's name became clear for the Deputy CM post. Shinde, who was reluctant to take up the Deputy post, agreed to play the second fiddle after his party leaders insisted. With Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis swapping their roles in the government, now all eyes are on the Maharashtra Home Minister's post. 

Reportedly, the Shiv Sena has staked claim to the post as Shinde was not made the CM this time. In the previous government, the Home portfolio was with Devendra Fadnavis. Speaking to reporters Thursday evening, Fadnavis said that the Home Ministry is an important department but those handling get less thanks and more abuses. 

"Home Ministry is such a department in which you get less thanks and more abuses, but despite that, you have to handle this ministry with conviction. I handled it with conviction. In this term too, our government will take all such measures through the Home Ministry to ensure that law and order remains good in Maharashtra, and the people of Maharashtra feel safe," said Fadnavis. 

Reacting to the cabinet expansion and portfolio allocation, Fadnavis said that the Speaker's election will be held during a special session of the Maharashtra assembly to be held between Dec 7-9 while the cabinet expansion will be completed before the winter session.

"Who will get what ministry, this will be decided by the three together and it is in the final stage. The work of the ministers in the previous government is being assessed and further decisions will be taken on that basis," said CM Fadnavis.