A new government has been formed in Maharashtra under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis, with Eknath Shinde of Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar of NCP as Deputy Chief Ministers. Following the government formation, the process of cabinet formation has picked up speed. The latest news suggests that 11 legislators from the Shiv Sena quota could become ministers this time.
Shiv Sena has finalized a list of its former and potential ministers for inclusion in the state cabinet. This list indicates that two former ministers may lose their positions, with new individuals likely stepping in.
Two Ministers Likely to Be Excluded
Sources have revealed that given their past performance and allegations, former ministers Sanjay Rathod and Abdul Sattar are unlikely to be included in the cabinet. Shiv Sena is expected to bring in 5 new legislators.
Read More: 'Eknath Shinde Didn't Want to Join the Government, But...', Says Shiv Sena's Uday Samant
Candidates vying for Shiv Sena's ministerial positions include Bharat Gogawale, Sanjay Shirsat, Pratap Sarnaik, Arjun Khotkar, and Vijay Shivtare, who might secure a place in the cabinet. It is believed that the Maha-Vikas Aghadi (MVA) might allocate 13 to 14 ministerial positions to Shiv Sena, with 10 to 12 ministers scheduled to be sworn in this week.
Will These 11 Legislators Take Oath as Ministers?
This information comes from senior sources within the party about potential ministers who have passed Shiv Sena's merit test and are poised to take the oath of office. Those who meet the expectations in Shiv Sena's progress book are as follows: 1) Gulabrao Patil 2) Uday Samant 3) Dada Bhuse 4) Shambhuraj Desai 5) Tanaji Sawant 6) Deepak Kesarkar 7) Bharat Gogawale 8) Sanjay Shirsat 9) Pratap Sarnaik 10) Arjun Khotkar 11) Vijay Shivtare
Read More: 'Shinde is a Generous Leader, His Dignity Should Be Preserved in the Maha-Vikas Aghadi Government,' says Shiv Sena Leader Kesarkar
43 Legislators Across the State Could Be Ministers
Let it be known that elections were held for a total of 288 assembly seats in the state. This time, the BJP has once again emerged as the largest party, winning 132 seats. Shiv Sena secured 57 seats, and the NCP got 41 seats. The cabinet, including the chief minister, has a capacity of 43, indicating that the number of both cabinet and state ministers cannot exceed this. Until now, there have been 29 ministers across all three parties, with BJP and Shiv Sena holding 10 each and NCP having 9 ministers.
