Maharashtra CM Fadnavis meets Thackeray to discuss proposed cabinet expansion

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray late last night to discuss the proposed cabinet expansion in the state. Mr Fadnavis had earlier met Governor C Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan. Currently, there are 37 ministers including the Chief Minister.

A vacancy was created due to the death of BJP leader Pandurang Fundkar, then agriculture minister, in 2018. The portfolio is now being handled by revenue minister Chandrakant Patil. Deepak Sawant, then health minister, resigned earlier this year and the department is being



looked after by Eknath Shinde, who is also the PWD minister.

Parliamentary Affairs and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Girish Bapat resigned after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Pune. His portfolios are being shared by Education Minister Vinod Tawde and Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal.

While the BJP has 16 cabinet ministers and seven ministers of state (MoS), its main ally Shiv Sena has five cabinet ministers and  one MoS. Smaller allies have one cabinet and MoS post each.