Maha cabinet expansion: Fadnavis says formula ready, but no date final

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the names of the probable ministers from the Bharatiya Janata Party in his cabinet have been shortlisted and the final decision will be taken by the party's central leadership.

Fadnavis, who was on a two-day visit to Delhi, held discussions on the expansion of his cabinet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and senior party leader B L Santosh in New Delhi on Wednesday night.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule was also present during the meeting.

"We are yet to decide on a date for the cabinet expansion. The formula has been decided and you will know about it soon," Fadnavis, who took oath as the chief minister of Maharashtra last week, said.

Separately, Nationalist congress Party chief Ajit Pawar said the expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet could take place on December 14.

The BJP-led Mahayuti registered a landslide victory in the Maharashtra assembly polls last month.

The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP coalition won 230 seats while smaller outfits, part of the alliance, emerged victorious on five seats.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance was restricted to 46 seats in the 288-member assembly.

Besides Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were sworn in as deputy chief ministers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a galaxy of leaders from the arenas of politics, industry and entertainment.

Fadnavis also brushed aside reports of differences among the ruling alliance over the power-sharing agreement.

"There is no issue with the expansion of the cabinet. I had come here to meet my party leaders and discuss who could be the ministers from the BJP. Eknath Shinde will decide on the ministers from his party, Ajit dada will decide on his ministers," he said.

Fadnavis said he and Ajit Pawar have come to the national capital for their respective meetings.

"Ajit dada has come for his work, I have come to meet my party leaders. I have not even met Ajit dada in Delhi," he said.

Reports had it that Shinde did not come to Delhi as he was sulking on the allocation of portfolios to the Shiv Sena.

During his stay in the capital, Fadnavis met President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Modi, Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.