Maharashtra cabinet expansion discussion: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis on Friday met Home Minister Amit Shah, amid talks of expansion of the Council of Ministers after the formation of the new government earlier this week.
Shinde and Fadnavis, who arrived here late Friday evening, are also scheduled to meet President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda.
Soon after reaching the national capital, both the leaders left for Maharashtra Sadan. It is said that Fadnavis first reached Shah’s residence and later Shinde joined him. Discussions with Shah are believed to have centered around the power-sharing formula between the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.
His visit to the national capital comes ahead of a crucial hearing in the Supreme Court on July 11 on a petition filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena seeking disqualification of Shinde and 15 MLAs of his faction.
“We have faith in the judiciary,” Shinde told reporters in the national capital. Shinde said the group led by him has the support of two-thirds of Shiv Sena MLAs. Before the split triggered by Shinde’s rebellion, the Shiv Sena had 55 MLAs.
“The president has also given us recognition,” he said. Shinde was sworn in as chief minister on June 30 with the support of the BJP, when he rebelled against the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, following the fall of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government with a large chunk of MLAs from the Shiv Sena. Shinde had won the trust vote in the Maharashtra Assembly on July 4.
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