Maharashtra cabinet expansion: The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Maharashtra government is set to undergo a cabinet expansion on December 15, with new ministers taking the oath of office in a ceremony in Nagpur. As per the information, as many as 30 ministers are expected to be sworn in during the event which will take place at 4 pm on Sunday. The week-long winter session of the state legislature is slated to begin in Nagpur from December 16.
Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Chief Minister with Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar as his deputies at a grand ceremony in Mumbai on December 5. The council of ministers in Maharashtra can have a maximum of 43 members including the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule held discussions with deputy CMs Shinde and Pawar on Friday to finalise the Cabinet lineup. Hectic parleys took place at Pawar’s Deogiri bungalow in South Mumbai, where he consulted with party leaders.
The Maharashtra government formation has been marked by dramatic developments, including Shinde initially opting out of a government role to focus on party organisation. However, he was later persuaded to take the position of Deputy Chief Minister.
Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory in the elections, winning 235 Assembly seats, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed only 49 seats. The Assembly election in the state was held in a single phase on November 20. The results of state elections were declared on November 23, and the names of elected legislative assembly members were published in the Maharashtra government state gazette vide the ECI's notification. This was done as per the provisions of section 73 of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
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