Maharashtra cabinet expansion on December 15, oath-taking ceremony in Nagpur

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis at a press conference in New Delhi | Photo credit: PTI

The cabinet expansion of the BJP-led Maharashtra government will take place on December 15, with the new ministers taking oath at a ceremony in Nagpur, official sources said.

A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader told PTI on Friday (December 13, 2024) that 30-32 ministers are likely to take oath. The week-long winter session of the state Legislative Assembly is scheduled to begin in Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, on December 16.

Mr. Fadnavis was sworn in as Chief Minister (CM) with Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar as his deputies at a grand ceremony in Mumbai on December 5. The Maharashtra council of ministers can have a maximum of 43 members, including the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday (December 13) met Deputy CM Shinde and Ajit Pawar separately to finalize the formation of the cabinet. Hectic talks took place at Ajit Pawar’s Deogiri bungalow in south Mumbai, where he met his party leaders.

In the November 20 legislative elections, the Mahayuti swept to power, winning 230 of the state’s 288 seats. The BJP came in first with 132 seats, followed by Shinde’s Shiv Sena with 57 and Pawar’s NCP with 41. The government line-up has already seen its share of twists and turns, with Shinde giving way to Mr Fadnavis for the top post .

Mr. Shinde, who did not want to be part of the government and wanted to concentrate on party organization, was persuaded to take oath as the CM’s deputy. The Shiv Sena has repeatedly mentioned that Shinde was given a post befitting his stature and sought the national portfolio, which the BJP did not accept.

Sources said the BJP is likely to get 20-21 ministerial posts, followed by 11-12 for the Sena and 9-10 for the NCP.