Maharashtra cabinet expansion today, BJP likely to retain Home Ministry

Image Source: PTI Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his two deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar

The stage is set for the first cabinet expansion in Maharashtra, amid a tussle over portfolio distribution among Mahayuti constituencies – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), National Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena. The BJP may bring in a few new faces in the cabinet, the sources said. The new ministers will take oath around 4 p.m. in Nagpur. For the second time after 1991, the swearing-in ceremony of ministers is being organized in Nagpur. Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan will administer oath of office to the new ministers at the Raj Bhavan.

Shiv Sena likely to get housing ministry

The BJP is likely to hand over the housing ministry to the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra following the likely cabinet expansion in the state, sources said, adding that the BJP would retain the home ministry. With former chief minister Eknath Shinde now as one of the two deputies of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP could give his party a bigger ministry, they added. The sources said Shiv Sena’s Deepak Kesarkar, Tanaji Sawant and Abdul Sattar may be dropped.

The PCN will retain the Ministry of Finance

Deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar is expected to retain the finance ministry.

According to sources, there are two proposals –

Around 30 MLAs can take oath as ministers – 15 from BJP, 8 from Shinde Shiv Sena and 7 from NCP. However, only 18 to 20 MLAs can be sworn in as ministers – 10 from the BJP, 4 to 5 from the Shinde Shiv Sena and 4 to 5 from the NCP.

Another probability is that BJP can appoint 21 ministers, Shiv Sena 12 and NCP 10. So the total number of ministers would be 43.

Possible ministerial faces of the BJP

Chandrashekhar Bawankule, OBC MLA from Nagpur Kamathi from Vidarbha

Sudhir Mungantiwar, Ballarpur MP from Chandrapur district of Vidarbha – from the Komti caste

Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, MP from Shirdi in Ahmednagar district of western Maharashtra – from the Maratha community

Girish Mahajan, MP from Jamner in north Maharashtra, from the OBC Gurjar caste

Chandrakant Patil, MP from Kothrud in Pune in western Maharashtra, from the Maratha community

Mangal Prabhat Lodha, MP from Malabar Hill in Mumbai, from the Marwari community

Pankaja Munde, Legislative Council MP, Banjara leader from Marathwada, OBC

Ashish Shelar, MP from Bandra West in Mumbai, Maratha community

Ravindra Chavan, MP from Dombivali in Thane, Maratha community

OBC Aurangabad East Marathwada MP Atul Save

Vidarbha MP Ashok Uike from the tribal community

Jaykumar Rawal, MP from Sindkhed in northern Maharashtra

Parinay Phuke, Vidarbha MLC from Gondia, from OBC

OBC Vidarbha Jalgaon Jamod MP Sanjay Koote

West Maharashtra Satara MP Shivendra Raje Bhosale from Maratha

Maratha Konkan Kankavali MP Nitesh Rane

Shiv Sena’s likely ministers

Five-time Konkan Ratnagiri MP Uday Samant from Maratha

Shambhuraje Desai, a five-time MP from Patan in western Maharashtra, is a Maratha

Dada Bhuse, a five-time MP from Malegaon Outer in north Maharashtra Nashik, is a Maratha

Gulabrao Patil, five-time MP from Jalgaon Rural in north Maharashtra, from Gurjar OBC

Sanjay Shirsat, five-time MP from Marathwada Aurangabad West from the Dalit community

Bharat Gogavale, four-time MP from Mahad in Konkan, Raigad, from Maratha

Prakash Abitkar, three-time MP from Radhanagari, West Maharashtra, from Maratha

Possible PCN ministers

OBC MP from Yeola, North Maharashtra, Chhagan Bhujbal

Aditi Tatkare, MLA from Raigad, Konkan, from OBC

Anil Patil, MP from Amalner, north Maharashtra, from Maratha

Sanjay Bansode, MP from Udgir, Latur, from the Dalit community

Makarand Patil, Maratha MP from western Maharashtra

Narhari Jhirwal, MP from Igatpuri, north Maharashtra, from the tribal community

Minister of State-

Idris Naikvadi, MLC, Muslim face of the PCN

Sana Malik, Mumbai Anushaktinagar Muslim

OBC Vidarbha Yavatmal district MP Indranil Naik

According to sources, the list of the three parties has been sent to Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The three parties sent a list of some experienced seniors and some young new faces. The BJP top leadership wants to give a chance to clean and new faces. If this happens, some top leaders from the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP may be sidelined and new faces may emerge in the cabinet.

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