Maharashtra crisis: No talk with BJP on ministries yet, says Shinde

Mumbai, Jun 30: Amid speculation of new government formation in Maharashtra, rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Thursday clarified that there has been no discussion with BJP about who and how many ministerial posts will be part of the government.

"There has been no discussion with BJP about who and how many ministerial posts will be there, it will happen soon. Until then, please don't believe the ministerial lists and rumours about it," Eknath Shinde tweeted in Hindi.

The statement comes after media reports claimed that the CM and the Deputy CM will take oath within 48 hours. While round 12 Sena rebels are expected to get berths.

Shinde and his camp MLAs are likely to reach Mumbai today. They are expected to meet Devendra Fadnavis at Taj.

A final decision on the issue will be taken after a meeting with CT Ravi.

The BJP, which is expected to stake claim to form the next government in Maharashtra soon following the resignation of Uddhav Thackeray as the chief minister, is in a huddle on Thursday to decide the future course of action, where party's state in-charge C T Ravi is present.

Thackeray had resigned soon after the Supreme Court refused to stay Governor B S Koshyari's direction to his government to take a floor test in the Assembly on Thursday. His resignation capped over a week-long drama of resort politics, where rebel Shiv Sena MLAs led Shinde camped in luxury hotels and hopped on chartered jets from Mumbai to Surat and Guwahati, before landing in Goa on Wednesday night.

Fadnavis is expected to make a comeback as chief minister after holding the post from 2014 to 2019.