Eknath Shinde to start state-wide tour from July 13

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will start a tour of the state from Thursday, a spokesperson of the Shiv Sena said. Shinde would be hitting the road days after Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state on July 2.

The CM will start his tour from his home turf Thane city on July 13, said Shiv Sena spokesperson Naresh Mhaske in a statement. He will speak at a party rally here on Thursday evening, Mhaske said. The aim of the tour was to strengthen the party and reach out to the people ahead of the next year’s elections, he said.

Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said that "the state cabinet will be expanded soon.  Shinde was speaking to reporters after holding a meeting with Maharashtra deputy CMs, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, at his official residence, on Tuesday late night. 

Ahead of CM Shinde's comment, Deputy CMs, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were spotted leaving his official residence after the meeting.  While reacting to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's remark on Fadnavis, Shinde said that Thackeray has lost his right to speak as he had compromised Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology for power.