Shinde-Fadnavis Cabinet expansion still in limbo

All MLAs in the BJP and rebel Shiv Sena (Shinde) camp in high anticipation as cabinet expansion expected to happen in the coming week

After more than three weeks of the two-man government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the date of expansion of the new Maharashtra cabinet remains mired in uncertainty.

With Mr. Shinde and Mr. Fadnavis due for another visit to Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Droupadi Murmu on July 25, sources say that another meeting with BJP top brass regarding the impending cabinet expansion in Maharashtra is likely.

Mr. Shinde and Mr. Fadnavis have been scurrying back and forth between Mumbai and Delhi since the toppling of the MVA regime, having visited the capital no less than five times since taking power late last month.

All MLAs in the Bharatiya Janata Party and particularly the rebel Shiv Sena camp of 40 legislators led by Mr. Shinde, are waiting in keen anticipation of the date of expansion.

With several of the breakaway MLAs like Dada Bhuse, Uday Samant, Abdul Sattar, Shamburaj Desai among others having been ministers in the erstwhile tripartite ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ government led by Uddhav Thackeray, the Sena rebel faction – despite emphatically attributing the motive behind their revolt to ideals and not lure of position - is eagerly eyeing the portfolio allocations.

Besides Mr. Shinde, the rebel faction of 40 Sena MLAs has eight ministers – four cabinet and four minister of state – from the erstwhile MVA regime which they helped topple.

It is expected that all of them will be eyeing berths in the new government.