Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said the Cabinet expansion will take place after the annual puja of Lord Vitthal on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi to be held on Sunday. He did not divulge further details but said that the oath-taking ceremony of his Cabinet ministers will be completed before the Monsoon Session starts.
Currently, Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis are on a visit to Delhi. The duo met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday and BJP chief JP Nadda today. They are also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reportedly, these meetings are being held to discuss the Cabinet expansion and the formula for dividing Cabinet berths between the BJP and the Shinde camp.
Speaking at a press conference, Shinde said the Shiv Sena-BJP government should have been formed 2.5 years ago. "Our responsibility has increased. 5 years (the Devendra Fadnavis govt) did a very good job. The work done for the benefit of the farmers and the people was stopped in the middle period. Now, we will take it forward again," he said.
The Chief Minister also spoke about the OBC reservation and said he has held discussions regarding the same. Following the footsteps of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, he said that his government will not hold elections without OBC reservation. He added that he will discuss with the Election Commission about not holding Nagar Panchayat elections during the rainy season.
Targetting the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction, Shinde said an attempt is being made to mislead people. "But the people of Mumbai and Maharashtra are wise. They know everything. We will continue our work. No matter what anyone says, it will not affect us," he added.
