CM Eknath Shinde says, expansion of Maharashtra cabinet likely next week

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said he would expand his council of ministers after discussions with his deputy Devendra Fadnavis next week. The Maharashtra CM said this after a meeting with BJP top brass in Delhi over Friday and Saturday. 

Addressing a press conference during a whirlwind tour of the national capital, Shinde also dismissed his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray's call for mid-term polls in Maharashtra and asserted that his government is strong and stable with the



support of 164 MLAs, while the opposition has only 99.

After their arrival here on Friday evening, Shinde and Fadnavis met President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J P Nadda.

On Friday night, the duo had a long meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during which the broad contours of the power-sharing arrangement in the new Maharashtra government were learnt to have been finalised.