Fadnavis government will fill up portfolios rendered vacant after the resignation of senior minister Eknath Khadse.
After being sidelined in the cabinet expansion drive at the centre Shiv Sena is expecting a better deal from its alliance partner BJP in the Maharashtra cabinet reshuffle. Sena is expecting atleast two berths and hoping that justice will be done to it this time. Earlier the party had expressed its displeasure in the manner in which the cabinet reshuffle was being done at the centre as it was undertaken with the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in mind. More representation was given to leaders from backward castes to lure voters as allies like Shiv Sena, Telugu Desam and Akali Dal were ignored. Since the Brihanmumbai Municipal election is scheduled to happen next year both Sena and BJP are trying to gain an upper hand over each other. Sena is ruling the BMC while BJP is trying to wrest power from the former.
The BJP is also thinking of allotting one more Cabinet berth to Shiv Sena as the ally party is miffed at not getting its due in the Modi Cabinet. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will expand his Cabinet on 8th July and nine to ten new faces are likely to be inducted.
“The Cabinet expansion will be held tomorrow,” a senior government official said.
According to sources, “After the resignation of Eknath Khadse people of north Maharashtra are miffed with the BJP for giving inadequate representation for leaders from that region. Therefore BJP is likely to induct two to three legislators from this area. Moreover, Khadse had handled 10 portfolios with him and right now it is being temporarily overseen by Fadnavis.”
Right now 10 ministers and 10 junior members exist in the Fadnavis government while 14 berths are vacant. The BJP will induct five to six legislators and keep two to three berths vacant for averting unrest among the aspirants. The Shiv Sena has two ministers of state berths, while two smaller allies have been alloted one seat each. Sadabhau Khot of Swabhimani Paksha and Mahadev Jankar of Rashtriya Samaj Paksha will be inducted as ministers of state. The Sena is also exploring the possibility of one more cabinet berth in lieu of a berth in central ministry.
Two more ministers will be sworn in from Western Vidarbha — Madan Yerawar from Yavatmal and one of the three legislators from Buldhana — Pandurang Phundkar, Sanjay Kute and Chainsukh Sancheti — will be inducted. Sambhaji Nilangekar from Nanded in Marathwada; Jaykumar Rawal from Dhule, Haribhau Jawale from Jalgaon in North Maharashtra and Suresh Khade from Sangali in Western Maharashtra are the other MLAs to be inducted.
Sources in the Shiv Sena said it was going to await an official word from Fadnavis over the expansion. Party sources said there was no decision yet on who its final nominees for the posts will be.
