Maharashtra to see cabinet expansion soon as ministers’ workload increases

As the workload of ministers increases, and the demands of senior MLAs to accommodate them into the cabinet intensifies, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, supported by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, is expected to expand his council of ministers.

At present, the state cabinet is 20 ministers strong, including Shinde and Fadnavis.

“The workload is too much. We need to induct (more) Ministers of State,” senior functionaries of the Maharashtra government said.

With the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly at 288 members, the government can have a maximum of 43 ministers.

“As of now, the strength of the ministry is nearly half of the strength that it can have. Also, there are no ministers of state so that the junior ministers can share the workload,” sources said.

As of now, the 20 ministers are in a 50:50 ratio between the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The smaller parties and independent members have not yet been accommodated into the council of ministers.

Shinde and Fadnavis were sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, respectively, on June 30 and they cleared the trust vote on July 4.

The new cabinet of ministers—18 of them—were sworn in after a delay of more than a month on August 9. Even then, the names were finalised after Shinde and Fadnavis travelled to New Delhi several times.