The Mahayuti government in Maharashtra will "have no meaning” if Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar is not made the finance minister, The Indian Express quoted party spokesperson Amol Mitkari as saying on Thursday.

On November 23, the Mahayuti alliance – comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Shiv Sena group led by Eknath Shinde and the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by Pawar – won 230 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.

On December 5, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra, while Shinde and Pawar took oath as his deputies. The alliance is yet to make announcements about key ministerial portfolios as part of its power-sharing arrangement.

Pawar had held the finance portfolio in the last Mahayuti government.

Mitkari’s statement on Thursday came after Pawar, along with his wife and Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. Nationalist Congress Party leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare were also present.

“Before the 2024 elections, the whole of Maharashtra saw the implementation of welfare schemes like Ladki Bahin Yojana and waiver of electricity bills of farmers,” said the party spokesperson. “While implementing the schemes, Ajit Pawar as finance minister will ensure that the state is not bogged down by additional financial burden.”

Mitkari said the finance portfolio should go to Pawar if “financial discipline has to be ensured in Maharashtra”.

He said that while the home ministry “suits the BJP”, the finance ministry “suits the NCP”.

Meanwhile, Pawar said he had discussed matters related to sugarcane prices with Shah. “I requested Amit Shah to increase the sugarcane rate,” he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. “He promised to take a decision by January.”

The deputy chief minister also stated that a discussion on Cabinet expansion will take place on Saturday. However, Fadnavis, who was also in Delhi, said that a date for Cabinet expansion had not been decided.

“There is no problem with the expansion of the state Cabinet,” said Fadnavis. “I have come to Delhi to meet my party leaders and discuss our likely ministers with my party’s leadership.”

The chief minister added: “As for Ajit Pawar, he has come for his personal work. He will take a decision about his ministers and similarly, Eknath Shinde will take a decision about his.”