Maharashtra cabinet expansion likely to take place at 11 am tomorrow
2 min read . Updated: 08 Aug 2022, 04:36 PM IST
Premium- Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis were sworn in as CM and deputy CM respectively on 30 June after the resignation of Uddhav Thackeray
The much- awaited Maharashtra cabinet expansion is likely to take place tomorrow , Tuesday 9 August at 11 am at Maharashtra Raj Bhavan, news agency ANI reported.
A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader on Monday has said that the Maharashtra cabinet expansion will take place on Tuesday, 9 August, news agency PTI reported.
“The cabinet expansion will take place tomorrow in Mumbai. I cannot divulge any details about it and who will be in the cabinet," a senior BJP leader told PTI on Monday.
“The monsoon session of the state legislature has to be held at the earliest, so we decided to induct 12 legislators in the ministry expansion. Some of those taking the oath on Tuesday would be from the Legislative Council," a close aide of Eknath Shinde said.
Fadnavis and Shinde visited Delhi multiple times in the recent past regarding the issue of cabinet expansion. Shinde alone made seven visits to New Delhi in the last one month, and with every visit there was talk that the ministry expansion was round the corner.People aware of the matter had on Sunday, 7 August, said CM Shinde is likely to expand his cabinet this week by inducting at least 15 ministers and deputy chief minister Fadnavis is expected to keep the crucial Home portfolio.
On Saturday, Shinde said the state government's functioning 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 news agency had last week mentioned that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is expected 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.
Both the ministers have been functioning as a two-member cabinet, inviting criticism from opposition leaders, including NCP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. “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 said on Sunday.
Fadnavis further 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. He said these constituencies included those held by Shiv Sena leaders who have now joined the Shinde camp, the report said.
On 6 August, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had said no ministerial-level powers have been given to the secretaries except in quasi-judicial matters. The opposition int he state had accused the Chief Minister of functioning as a two-member cabinet and have deigned the decision-making powers to the bureaucrats.
After usurping the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, CM Eknath Shinde took oath as the chief minister and Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy on 30 June. So far, no other member has been added to the cabinet.
