Maharashtra cabinet expansion this month: Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis

File Photo/PTI

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the state Cabinet would be expanded in July. The statement came after CM Eknath Shinde's Delhi visit where a clearance is said to be given by the BJP high command on Thursday.

When asked about Shinde's visit, Fadnavis said that the CM needed to attend several meetings related to the state in the capital. "And now about your favourite subject of cabinet expansion. We have to do it, and the CM will take a final call on the expansion. I think it will happen in July," he said. Asked on which date it was expected to happen, the DyCM reiterated July, insisting that nobody spoke so specifically about this subject.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat and his party's whip Bharat Gogawale also gave enough suggestions that the new faces from their group would be part of the restructured team. Capped at 20, the Shinde cabinet has 10 each legislators, including the CM and DyCM, from the two partners. The total strength of the council of ministers can be increased to 43.

Some independents who had switched sides exactly a year ago to topple the Thackeray government are also hopeful of a berth in the council that will have the ministers of the Cabinet and junior ranks. Currently, there are no junior ministers.

Fadnavis denied news reports that have hinted about the axing of some sitting ministers. "These reports have no credibility. They are table top stuff," he said.

If executed, the expansion and reshuffle will come handy for the government that will face the opposition in the Monsoon Session of the legislature slated to begin on July 17. There have been instances of the ministers' absence in the house, leading to the opposition's outcry. Since the cabinet ministers didn't have juniors to assist, they had to juggle a lot in the house.

Apart from the legislative arrangement, what concerned the parties most was a growing unrest among the aspirant MLAs and their supporters ahead of the elections that are slated for the 2024 winter.

Shinde Sena in the Modi team

Sources said the Modi Cabinet was also up for a reshuffle and induction of new ministers. They said the Shinde Sena's Lok Sabha MPs were expected to be given an opportunity to work in the Union cabinet. The induction will be part of fulfilling the promise the BJP had made to Shinde in a power sharing deal at the state and Centre. Other allies are also expected to be inducted as part of rebuilding the NDA ahead of the 2024 polls.

The united Shiv Sena had representation in the Modi cabinet, but the sole minister Arvind Sawant had to quit after the parties fell out in 2019 in the wake of the MVA formation.

Rahul Shewale. Bhavan Gawli and Pratap Jadhav were said to be frontrunners. The ally may get two positions, a senior and junior, said the people in the know.

Fadnavis said the expansion of the union cabinet and the state team had no connection between them. "I don't even know about the Union cabinet's expansion. We are more interested in expanding the state team," he added.