After winning a crucial trust vote in the Maharashtra legislative assembly on Wednesday, Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde hinted at having a smaller, more manageable council of ministers.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai after the trust vote, Shinde said it was difficult to specify the exact size of the ministry in a coalition government. "The size of the ministry would either be smaller or remain the same as that of former chief minister Vilasrao Dehsmukh," he said.
The Deshmukh-led Democratic Front government had 56 ministers.
Shinde said the Peasants and Workers Party leaders, who met him before the vote of confidence, agreed to extend issue-based support to the government.
The PWP had withdrawn support to Deshmukh's government in June last year precipitating a prolonged political crisis. Though Deshmukh survived, the crisis weakened him.
Shinde said he would expand his ministry on January 24 or 25.
The state's pricarious finances, the drought situation and poverty alleviation would top my government's agenda, Shinde said.
Shinde will be leaving for New Delhi later in the day to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
