“Formula for cabinet expansion is decided”: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadanvis

New Delhi [India], December 12 (ANI): Amid speculation over Maharashtra cabinet formation, state Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis on Thursday said that the formula for cabinet expansion is already decided and soon the people will get to know.

“You people have run a lot of news about me and Ajit Pawar coming to Delhi that it is related to the cabinet expansion. I have seen those, but I would like to make one thing clear I have come to party-related meetings and Ajit Pawar has come for his work… so there is no need to speculate much on these things. In our party, decisions are taken by the parliamentary board and our senior leadership… As far as making ministers from the BJP quota is concerned, we will decide on it. Similarly, the NCP and Shiv Sena will decide the names of their ministers at their level. The formula for cabinet expansion is already decided. You will get to know about it soon,” Fadnavis told reporters.

The Mahayuti alliance is yet to divide the cabinet portfolios among the three alliance partners – BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP.

Meanwhile, Devendra Fadnavis met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital and said that the PM has always been an inspiration to crores of BJP Karyakarta.

“Extremely thankful to Hon PM Narendra Modi ji for your valuable time, guidance, blessings and standing firm behind Maharashtra. In the last 10 years, with your support, Maharashtra has been Number 1 in almost every sector and now aims to take this journey of VIKAS to the next level under your leadership and guidance. You have always been an inspiration to crores of BJP Karyakarta like us to work even harder,” posted on X.

He also met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and said, “It was a great pleasure to meet our senior leader Hon Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh ji at his residence in New Delhi. Took his blessings and presented him with an idol of Shri Ganesh.”

On Wednesday, Devendra Fadnavis met President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar in New Delhi, where he presented them with statues of Shri Vitthal-Rukmini, an iconic symbol of Maharashtra.

Earlier on December 5, Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra while Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Ministers.

The Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 witnessed a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance, securing a landslide win with 235 seats. The results marked a significant milestone for the BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats. The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party also made notable gains, with 57 and 41 seats, respectively.