Maharashtra Cabinet expansion likely after July 13

By Pramod Sharma
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 10 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will take a decision on cabinet expansion after July 13, rebel Shiv Sena MLA Deepak Kesarkar said on Sunday.
Speaking to ANI over the phone call today, Kesarkar said, “There is no chance for expanding the cabinet before July 13 as some of our MLAs and BJP MLAs will visit Delhi for a meeting related to the upcoming Presidential election.”
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday had demanded mid-term elections in Maharashtra and also asserted that nobody can take away his party’s ‘bow and arrow’ symbol even as the rebel Sena faction has staked a claim to it.
Speaking on this, Kesarkar said, “It is just political tactics (by the Uddhav faction). We have the majority in the Maharashtra Assembly. Those who have a majority have formed a government in Maharashtra recently.”
Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray dared the rebels led by new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the BJP to face mid-term elections.
Speaking to reporters at his residence ‘Matoshree’ in suburban Bandra, Thackeray dared the rebels led by new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the BJP to face mid-term elections, saying that people should be allowed to take a stand on the toppling of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by him. If people did not favour his party in the elections, he would accept the verdict, he said.
On June 30, Eknath Shinde took oath as the new chief minister of Maharashtra. Devendra Fadnavis will be the deputy chief minister in the government. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered the oath of office to them at Raj Bhavan in south Mumbai shortly after 7.30 pm. (ANI)