4 min readMumbaiJun 14, 2023 01:30 PM IST
First published on: Jun 5, 2023 at 04:39 PM IST
The long-due second expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet is likely to place before June 19, the Foundation Day of the Shiv Sena. According to sources, apart from the state cabinet expansion, there is also a possibility of the induction of two Shinde-led Shiv Sena MPs into the Union cabinet.
The discussion about the state cabinet expansion took place during the meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis in Delhi. Shinde and Fadnavis had travelled to Delhi on Sunday night and met Shah at his residence at around 10 pm.
After returning from Delhi early Monday, Shinde said the expansion of his cabinet will “take place soon”. “A positive discussion about the cabinet expansion took place during the meeting,” said Shinde.
Fadnavis also said cabinet expansion in the state will take place soon. “CM Shinde will decide when it will happen,” he added.
He also said the Sena and BJP will contest all the upcoming elections together.“Yesterday, we (Shiv Sena and BJP) discussed fighting all elections together and planning a joint strategy. We have also discussed coordination between the two parties in talukas and districts.”
During the meeting, which lasted for over an hour, Shah discussed the Maharashtra cabinet expansion and also took the report cards of state ministers. Shah is also said to have told Shinde and Fadnavis to consider new and young faces for the cabinet apart from women. They were also asked to avoid controversial MLAs.
Bharat Gogawale, an MLA from the Shinde Sena, said, “The expansion talks are going on and it may take place soon, maybe within a week or before June 19”.
Earlier, Gogawale had said the cabinet expansion is likely to take place within the first week of June.
The last cabinet expansion in Maharashtra took place in August last year when nine from the Shinde-led Sena and another nine BJP MLAs were inducted. Currently, there are 20 ministers in the state cabinet and there is a space for 23 more to be brought in.
According to a source, if the expansion takes place, the first choice would be the young faces who would be able to contribute to the alliance partners’ Mission 45 in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and the BJP’s Mission 150 in the BMC polls. There is also a possibility of the induction of at least two women MLAs—one each from the BJP and Sena—as there is no woman minister in the state cabinet.
After no Independent or smaller parties’ MLAs, who are with the CM’s party, and some of the Shinde-led Sena legislators were inducted in the previous cabinet had sparked unrest among them.
Many Shinde-led Sena MLAs such as Sanjay Shirsat, Sanjay Gaikwad, Bharat Gogawale, and Independent MLA Bachchu Kadu have been in the race for the cabinet expansion along with a few others. Shirsat, Gaikwad, and Kadu, who was a minister in the Thackeray-led MVA government, have been expressing their displeasure over their non-inclusion.
During the meeting, which lasted for over an hour, Amit Shah discussed the Maharashtra cabinet expansion and also took the report cards of state ministers. (Twitter/@mieknathshinde) 
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