With 9 NCP MLAs Joining Maharashtra govt, CM Eknath Shinde says Cabinet Expansion Soon

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday announced that state cabinet expansion will take place soon. He further said that Ajit Pawar is supporting the agenda of development.

Ajit Pawar met Devendra Fadnavis at his residence hours after meeting the rebel NCP MLAs this morning - reportedly to discuss the power-sharing formula. "A discussion was held regarding allocation of ministries to Ajit Pawar and the eight NCP MLAs who have switched to the Shinde-led government," according to NDTV reports.

Earlier in the day, Shinde spent time to ease the unrest among his Shiv Sena colleagues facing disqualification in connection with the rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray and the split in the party as well as the changed equations with the entry of nine NCP MLAs in the government.

Incidentally, after the rebellion in June last year led to Shinde becoming chief minister, one of the reasons they gave for breaking away from Uddhav Thackeray was the dominance of the NCP in the Maha Vikas Agahdi government.

They had claimed Sena MLAs were not getting funds for their constituencies with most of the allocations being cornered by NCP legislators since Ajit Pawar was deputy CM holding the finance portfolio in the MVA dispensation.

Shinde combined his Guru Purnima event in Thane on Monday with a closed-door meeting involving his MLAs and party workers to discuss the new developments and offer solutions.

Several cabinet ministers were present in Thane where the CM paid tribute to his mentor Anand Dighe and Sena founder late Bal Thackeray.

''We have communicated our unrest and concerns to CM Shinde as NCP is joining the government. Going by the seniority of its leaders, they will mostly get plum portfolios, which is our concern as those leaders will favour their party workers and use the funds to benefit them,'' said a leader from Shinde's Shiv Sena.

''This was exactly the reason why we decided to go with Shinde and revolt against our leader Uddhav Thackeray a year ago. If similar treatment takes places this time also, some of us will struggle to get re-elected,'' he said.