Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. (Express file photo)The much-awaited Cabinet expansion in Maharashtra is likely to take place on Friday. Sources confirmed that around 30 ministers will be inducted in the first of the two-phase expansion. The state can have 43 ministers, including the CM. A highly-placed source in the government said Wednesday, “The Cabinet formation has been finalised by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the swearing-in is set to take place on Friday.”
The Cabinet will have representation from both the BJP and the Sena’s Shinde faction. As per the decided formula, about two-thirds of the ministers will be from BJP, and the remaining from the Shinde camp.
The BJP with 106 members along with the rebel Shinde faction’s 50 members (including 40 Shiv Sena rebels and ten independents) formed the government last month. A source in the BJP said, “Senior party leaders will get priority in the Cabinet. Those likely to make it to the Cabinet include Chandrakant Patil, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Girish Mahajan, Jay-kumar Rawal, and Ashish Shelar.”
The nine Shiv Sena rebel ministers who had walked out of the Thackeray government to join Shinde are likely to be accommodated in the Cabinet in phases.
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