Maharashtra cabinet expansion soon

Mumbai: A cabinet expansion, which has been speculated about for the past two years, may finally happen in Maharashtra next month as the BJP government plans to “reward” leaders from the Congress and NCP who have joined the party, according to people aware of the matter.

If exit polls turn out to be accurate, then Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who was the Congress leader before he resigned as the opposition leader, may quit the party to join the BJP and get a cabinet berth, said one of the persons. The BJP could also induct NCP MLA Jayadutt Khsirsagar into the party and make NCP leader Vijaysinh Mohite Patil’s son Ranjitsinh an MLC, he said.

If the cabinet expansion does happen, then Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar, who is close to party president Amit Shah, could also be given a cabinet berth. In the event that Shelar is given a cabinet berth, then Manoj Kotak, the BJP MP from Mumbai North East, is said to be likely to be made Mumbai BJP chief.


Though the impending cabinet reshuffle depends on the results, the BJP wanted Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil, whose son Sujay contested from the BJP ticket in Ahmednagar, to join the party when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came for campaigning in Maharashtra, according to a party member. The same was the case with NCP leader Vijaysinh Mohite Patil.

In the run-up to the campaigning the BJP wanted to show the strength of the party and to embarrass the opposition parties by “displaying” opposition leaders at the party platform. However, the two leaders turned down the proposal and said they would wait for the Lok Sabha results.