Maha cabinet expansion before August 15; Fadnavis to get Home

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is likely to expand his cabinet this week by inducting at least 15 ministers and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to keep the crucial Home portfolio, sources said on Sunday.

Top government sources also said the civic polls in the state, delayed due to the OBC reservation issue being heard by the Supreme Court, are likely to be held in October after getting a clarification from the apex court.

Shinde and Fadnavis were sworn in as chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively on June 30 after the resignation of Uddhav Thackeray due to a rebellion in the Shiv Sena ranks.

The duo have been functioning as a two-member cabinet since then, inviting criticism from opposition leaders, including NCP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Top government sources also said the civic polls in the state, delayed due to the OBC reservation issue being heard by the Supreme Court, are likely to be held in October after getting a clarification from the apex court

“Ajit Pawar is leader of the opposition. He will have to say such things. Ajit dada conveniently forgets that when he was in the government there were just five ministers for the first 32 days,” Fadnavis told reporters here on Sunday.

The expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet will take place before you can even imagine, Fadnavis said in response to repeated questions from reporters.

Sources said the exercise will be carried out before August 15.

On Saturday, Chief Minister Shinde said the functioning of the state government has not been affected in any way due to the delay in the expansion of the council of ministers and that more ministers will be inducted soon.

“The work of the government has not been affected in any way. The decision making process has not been affected. I and the deputy chief minister have been taking decisions and there is no impact on the working of the government, the chief minister told reporters here.

Fadnavis said the BJP has embarked on a mission to improve its footprint in Maharashtra in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by identifying 16 parliamentary constituencies where opposition parties have had a consistent winning streak.