Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Times of India
The Times of India
National
TNN

Uncertainty over Maharashtra cabinet expansion

MUMBAI: Some bureaucrats believe the cabinet expansion will take place after the litigation in the SC is resolved-also the CM is unwell and has been advised rest for a few days. But a BJP leader said the cabinet may be expanded on Friday after dy CM Fadnavis, who is in New Delhi, returns.

Uncertainty over cabinet expansion persists as Fadnavis heads to Delhi

More than a month after Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis were sworn in as CM and deputy CM, there is complete uncertainty over the state cabinet's expansion owing to multiple factors. Bureaucrats believe expansion will take place after the litigation before the apex court is resolved and a section feels expansion on Friday appears difficult as Shinde is unwell and has been advised rest for a few days, and then on August 7, he will be in New Delhi for a NITI Aayog meeting. However, a BJP leader said the cabinet may be expanded on Friday after Devendra Fadnavis, who is in New Delhi, returns.

Shinde had told TOI on July 27 that he would expand the cabinet in the next three days, and Fadnavis had said it would happen soon. The Shinde faction's spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar said on Wednesday that expansion would happen before Sunday, while BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar on Thursday said the cabinet will be expanded before August 15.

A BJP leader said, "Fadnavis is in New Delhi with the list of cabinet members. He will meet the BJP leadership and return to Mumbai."

A senior bureaucrat said the issue in SC would have to be resolved. "It was expected that issues before SC would be resolved on Thursday and cabinet expanded on Thursday or Friday. However, the case was adjourned to August 8, and it may be referred to a constitution bench. So we feel cabinet will be expanded after litigation is resolved," the bureaucrat said.

The BJP leader said his party is insisting on the water resources department, while the Shinde faction is keen on securing the finance portfolio. "We expect that the row over sharing of portfolios will be resolved amicably. One of the proposals was that portfolios held by Congress and NCP should be entrusted to BJP and departments held by Shiv Sena should be entrusted to the Shinde faction. Prima facie there appears to be consensus on this," he said.

Second, the BJP leader said, a debate on adopting the Gujarat cabinet pattern, where a majority of faces are fresh, is still doing the rounds in BJP circles. "In Gujarat, BJP had a clear majority, while in Maharashtra we will have to strike a balance between the two parties. In the Shinde faction, out of 40 legislators, at least 30 are insisting on a cabinet berth. It will be difficult to accept the proposal as it will be a challenge for Shinde," he said.

According to BJP leaders, Chandrakant Patil, Girish Mahajan, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Praveen Darekar, Baban Lonikar, Nitesh Rane and Ravindra Chavan are among the frontrunners for a cabinet berth from BJP, while Gulabrao Patil, Uday Samant, Dada Bhuse, Shambhuraj Desai, Abdul Sattar, Deepak Kesarkar, Bacchu Kadu or Ravi Rana are the Shinde group's contenders.

Ex-minister Ashish Shelar too is a frontrunner, but he will have to take a call on whether he is keen on a cabinet berth or wants to lead the party in the state.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.