After almost a month of waiting, it is expected that the cabinet expansion will now be happening on the 30th of December. The swearing-in of the new ministers would be done around 11:00 am or 12:00 pm as per the reports.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which presently has a strength of six ministers - two each from Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress - plus, the CM, can have a maximum of 42 ministers. The other leaders include Congress’ Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut, Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai and NCP’s Jayant Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal were also sworn in on November 28 along with the Cheif Minister. At that time, it was decided that the cabinet would be expanded immediately after the winter session of the state legislature, which ended on Saturday.
The reports also claim that on 30th, 36 new ministers will be sworn-in. While Shiv Sena and NCP will get 13 representatives each, Congress will get 10. It is also being reported that there will be a mix of new and experienced faces that will be seen in the cabinet this time.
Earlier a report in Shiv Sena's mouthpiece Saamna had mentioned 30th December to be the chosen date for the cabinet expansion and it is now confirmed to be the D day. However, it is still not clear whether Ajit Pawar will be given the post of Deputy Chief Minister or will he get another key portfolio?
In the past few weeks, Uddhav Thackeray has held a series of meetings with the Congress and the NCP to get his balancing act right. Stay Tuned with Mumbai Live to know all the action as it happens.
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