Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray Meet To Talk State Cabinet Expansion

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to discuss the proposed cabinet expansion in the state.

Over the last few days, both Devendra Fadnavis and finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar have said the ministry will be expanded.

After meeting Uddhav Thackeray, Devendra Fadnavis tweeted, "I met Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray at his residence Matoshri and discussed in the cabinet expansion in detail."

It is being speculated that the cabinet expansion could take place on Sunday, a day before the three-week monsoon session in Maharashtra. Devendra Fadnavis had earlier met Governor C Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan.

Currently, there are 37 ministers including Devendra Fadnavis in the Maharashtra cabinet. Five more can be accommodated.

A vacancy was created due to the death of BJP leader Pandurang Fundkar, then agriculture minister, in 2018. The portfolio is now being handled by revenue minister Chandrakant Patil.

Deepak Sawant, then health minister, resigned earlier this year and the department is being looked after by Eknath Shinde, who is also the PWD minister.

Parliamentary Affairs and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Girish Bapat resigned after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Pune. His portfolios are being shared by Education Minister Vinod Tawde and Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal.

While the BJP has 16 cabinet ministers and seven ministers of state (MoS), its main all Shiv Sena has five cabinet ministers and only one MoS. Smaller allies have one cabinet and MoS post each.