Maha cabinet expansion likely next week

Mumbai: A year after its formation, the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government is expected to go for a second cabinet expansion next week. Five to six leaders each from Shiv Sena and BJP are likely to be inducted in the cabinet to avoid any possible discontent among the aspirants.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had an unscheduled meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday evening. They reportedly discussed the number of ministers to be inducted, names of the legislators to be made minister and the portfolios to be distributed between the two parties, which may take place on July 5 or the week next to it.

Both the CM and his deputy said the expansion will take place soon. During their Delhi visit, Shah also assured Shinde of induction of two MPs into the Union cabinet during the expected expansion next week.

When asked if the expansion will happen after the Central cabinet expansion, Fadnavis said, “There is no relation between the expansion of the Central and state governments. I am not aware if the expansion of the Modi government is on cards. The decision about the names to be inducted in the cabinet would be taken by the CM.”

According to the BJP leaders, the expansion has to take place before the beginning of the monsoon session of the assembly slated to begin on July 17.

Devyani Farande, Madhuri Misal, Sanjay Kute, Nitesh Rane from the BJP and Bharat Gogawale, Bacchu Kadu from Shiv Sena are some of the probable names expected to be inducted.

Meanwhile, dispelling the reports that four to five ministers from the Shinde camo will be dropped during the expansion, a senior BJP leader said, “The reports have no substance and no minister will be dropped.”

The Shinde government came into existence on June 30 last year and the first cabinet expansion with the induction of 18 ministers each from both the parties was done on August 10. Though the cabinet can be expanded to its maximum size of 43 ministers, the parties would like to keep over 10 seats empty to avoid discontent among aspirants from both sides.

A BJP leader said, “Though there are aspirants in our party, there would not be any reaction from the aspirant for not being inducted in the cabinet. But the leaders from the Shinde camp have always been vocal and the public reaction from the disgruntled cannot be ruled out.”

The leader said that the BJP was not happy with the controversial ministers from the Shinde camp. “However, Shinde has put his foot down and warned us that no minister would be dropped,” the BJP leader added.