Ajit Pawar's NCP presses for finance portfolio back as Bhujbal meets CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra politics is in turmoil. Manoj Jarange Patil has brought out an audio clip, and the atmosphere has been heated since. Allies in the Mahayuti now appear to be clashing among themselves. After the Rs 500 crore audio clip, the friction between the BJP and the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena has come into the open, and leaders of both parties have begun commenting on each other.

The BJP's troubles could now grow, as the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has also taken an aggressive stance. The issue is the finance department.

After the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis kept the finance portfolio that he held. The NCP faction is now insisting on getting it back. Key leaders of the party have met Fadnavis to press for the return of the department.

Sunetra Pawar has taken over as deputy chief minister. The party's position that has emerged since is that the finance department should now also return to the NCP.

After meeting the chief minister, Chhagan Bhujbal spelt out the party's stand. He said Sunetra Pawar is "our deputy chief minister" and the finance department should be returned to the party. According to Bhujbal, the department is the party's right, and the chief minister showed a positive attitude towards returning it.

Bhujbal claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has given Chief Minister Fadnavis freedom to take the decision. For this reason, he said he expected a positive decision on the matter.

He also said that even when the party was with the Congress, such changes had been made in the allocation of portfolios, and there are precedents of one department being given in place of another. Bhujbal said he hoped a decision on the finance department could come before the winter session.

Meanwhile, talk of the two Nationalist Congress parties coming together is also strong. But Bhujbal made it clear that no discussion on a merger has taken place. He also said the other portfolios would not be swapped.

All eyes are now on what stand Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis takes on the NCP's demand. Whether the finance department goes back to the NCP or Fadnavis keeps it with himself will become clear in the coming days.