Maharashtra Cabinet Expansion: BJP Minister Names Shortlisted; Central Leaders To Take Final Call, Says CM Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Thursday that the list of probable BJP ministers for his cabinet has been shortlisted, with the final selection set to be made by the party's central leadership.

During his two-day visit to Delhi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis engaged in 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 on Wednesday night. Maharashtra BJP Chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule also attended 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.

In a separate statement, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar indicated that the expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet could occur on December 14. The BJP-led Mahayuti coalition achieved a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections last month, securing 230 seats, while smaller alliance partners won five seats. In contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance was limited to just 46 seats in the 288-member Assembly.

Alongside Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were sworn in as deputy chief ministers in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of leaders from various sectors. Fadnavis also dismissed reports suggesting any discord within the ruling alliance regarding the power-sharing arrangement.