Mumbai: The much-anticipated cabinet expansion of the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government is expected to take place on December 11 or 12, according to sources. The expansion is set to include key representatives from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Sources revealed that the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is likely to retain the Finance portfolio, while the BJP is expected to continue holding the Home department, consistent with the previous Eknath Shinde-led government. The Shiv Sena, led by Shinde, is poised to retain the Urban Development portfolio, and may also be allocated the Revenue department, as per sources within the party.
Under the cabinet expansion, Maharashtra’s cabinet, which can have a maximum of 43 ministers, is expected to comprise 21-22 ministers from the BJP, 11-12 from the Shiv Sena, and 9-10 from the NCP, sources said.
A senior BJP leader mentioned that the final decision on the exact number of ministers to be sworn in will be made within the next couple of days. The newly-elected MLAs will take their oath in a special three-day session of the assembly beginning Saturday, with the pro-tem Speaker, Kalidas Kolambkar, administering the oath.
The Speaker’s election is scheduled for December 9, followed by the trust vote for the new government and the Governor’s address to the joint session of both Houses. The winter session of the Maharashtra legislature will commence in Nagpur, the state’s second capital, from December 16.
