Maharashtra Cabinet Expansion: Fadnavis In Delhi To Meet Top BJP Leaders, Shinde Skips Visit Due To Ill-Health

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stayed back in Mumbai as he is suffering from over-exertion and has been advised rest by his doctors.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Source : Getty

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is in the national capital to meet top BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah and party chief J P Nadda over cabinet expansion due in the state since June 30.

However, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde skipped visit and stayed back in Mumbai as he is suffering from over-exertion and has been advised rest by his doctors, reported PTI.

The delay in cabinet expansion has been severely criticised by opposition parties in the state. They also accuse BJP of "dictating Maharashtra government."

“As reported by media, Mr. Eknath Shinde cancels all his programs suddenly citing instructions from doctors to rest, then Mr. Devendra Fadnavis rushes to Delhi to finalize ministry. Coincidence of events or evidence of who is dictating the Maharashtra Govt? Join the dots people,” NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto said on Twitter, reported PTI.

According to ABP News sources a cabinet expansion is expected in Maharashtra today.

Here are some of the possible names of BJP leaders to be inducted in the cabinet, according to ABP News.

• Chandrakant Patil
• Sudhir Mungantiwar
• Girish Mahajan
• Praveen Darekar
• Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil
• Ravi Chavan
• Babanrao Lonikar
• Nitesh Rane

Possible names of leaders from the Shinde camp of Shiv Sena

• Dada Bhuse
• Uday Samant
• Deepak Kesarkar
• Shambhu Raje Desai
• Sandipan Bhumre
• Sanjay Shirsath
• Abdul Sattari
• Bachchu Kadu (Independent) or Ravi Rana

Earlier on Tuesday Eknath Shinde while speaking to the media in Pune said his government is doing “good work” and that a cabinet expansion will soon take place.

"We will soon expand our cabinet. Even as the cabinet expansion has not taken place, the government is working efficiently. We have taken multiple decisions that are people-oriented," said Shinde as reported by news agency PTI. 

The state legislature's monsoon session was scheduled to start from July 18, but it was put off after Shinde brought down the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.

At present, Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP are the only members of the cabinet. They had taken oath on June 30 after Uddhav Thackeray resigned and the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition failed to prove its majority in the assembly.