Maharashtra Cabinet expansion today: Ministers to take oath at 4pm, Shiv Sena expected to get housing ministry

The BJP is set to hand over the housing ministry to the Shiv Sena as part of a cabinet expansion in Maharashtra, according to sources. However, BJP will retain control of the home ministry. 

Sources indicate that the two BJP allies — the Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar — are likely to keep the same portfolios they held under the previous Mahayuti government, with the exception of an additional ministry for the Shiv Sena.  

As Shinde now serves as one of two deputies to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, it is expected that BJP will assign him another significant ministry. 

Pawar is expected to maintain his position as Finance Minister. 

The cabinet expansion of the BJP-led Maharashtra government is scheduled for December 15, with new ministers taking the oath at a ceremony in Nagpur. A senior BJP leader told PTI that around 30-32 ministers are expected to be sworn in. 

The state legislature’s winter session will begin in Nagpur, Maharashtra’s second capital, on December 16. 

On December 5, Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as Chief Minister, alongside Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar as his deputies. The Maharashtra cabinet can accommodate up to 43 members, including the Chief Minister. 

State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule held separate meetings with Deputy CMs Shinde and Ajit Pawar on December 13 to finalise the cabinet formation. 

The Shiv Sena has previously expressed a desire for Shinde to be appointed to a position befitting his stature, including requesting the home ministry, a demand the BJP has not agreed to. 

Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the issue on December 14, dismissing claims of internal rifts within the alliance, specifically rumours about Shinde being dissatisfied with not securing the top post. Shah emphasised that BJP, which holds more seats in Maharashtra, had supported Shinde throughout his tenure as Chief Minister, despite the party’s larger representation. 

Sources reveal that BJP is expected to hold 20-21 ministerial positions, Shiv Sena is likely to get 11-12 and NCP may get 9-10. 

In the November 20 assembly elections, the Mahayuti alliance secured a dominant win, claiming 230 out of 288 seats in the state. BJP led with 132 seats, followed by Shiv Sena with 57 and NCP with 41.