Maharashtra cabinet expansion may take place next week: Shiv Sena leader Shirsat

Mumbai: The expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet may take place next week, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat said on Friday, and asserted his party should get more ministerial berths owing to the sacrifices made by its MLAs while forming the Eknath Shinde-led dispensation in 2022.

Speaking to PTI Videos, Shirsat said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis had a meeting on Thursday.

He said discussion on cabinet expansion may have taken place during the meeting.

"Cabinet expansion should take place and it may happen next week," said the Shiv Sena MLA from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Shirsat himself harbours aspirations to become a minister and has expressed it publicly in the past.

However, those getting inducted into the government may get just a few days to work since the model code of conduct for the assembly polls is expected to be in place in the next two months.

How many persons will be able to work after becoming minister is the question, he said.

"But this will have an influence in their assembly constituencies. This will be benefit the Mahayuti (ruling alliance of Shiv Sena, BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP). This is why the expansion must take place. It is my opinion," Shirsat said.

Shirsat said the prospects of the Sena were affected after Ajit Pawar-led NCP joined the Shinde government in July 2023. Pawar joined with eight MLAs, all of whom were made ministers.

"Shiv Sena numbers should get more because it is due to their sacrifice that the government was formed," Shirsat said referring to the revolt by MLAs led by Shinde which led to collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi in June 2022.