Maharashtra cabinet expansion in November end; 12 more ministers to be sworn in

The much awaited cabinet expansion in Maharashtra will be done at the end of November this month said Maharashtra Minister for co-operatives. Patil who was speaking in Kolhapur today said that there will be 12 more ministers sworn in at the end of November this month.

Patil said that the BJP will have six more ministers in the government. Six ministries would be divided between allies like the Republic Party of India (Athavale faction), the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP). The Shiv Sena which has been slamming both the state and the central government will get two ministries.

Sources said that Maharashtra Chief Ministries Devendra Fadnavis has been given a go ahead for the cabinet expansion by BJP President Amit Shah. Fadnavis had met Shah in Delhi after the Bihar results and it was decided that the cabinet expansion would be done by November.

The BJP's allies have been insisting and publicly questioning why they haven't been accommodated in the state government in spite of contributing to the BJP's win in the Maharashtra assembly polls. The cabinet expansion is set to assuage the allies concerns.