Cabinet expansion to be postponed

The state Cabinet expansion is likely to be postponed as a date has not been decided for it yet and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will be on tour from July 7 and 10 respectively. According to a senior BJP minister, it would be ‘impossible to expand the Cabinet at the beginning of the monsoon session’.

Meanwhile, Mr Fadnavis will meet party president Amit Shah today.

The chief minister had last week said that the state Cabinet expansion would be held before the monsoon session and immediately after the expansion of the Union Cabinet.

However, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister said he didn’t think it would be carried out before the session. “As Prime minister Narendra Modi will be on a foreign tour from July 7 and the monsoon session of Parliament will begin from July 18. The Maharashtra chief minister will also be on tour from 10 July. So, it is impossible for new ministers to take oath at the beginning of session,” said the minister. He added that if it were done, the Opposition party would corner the new ministers over several issues, which could spell trouble for the ruling party.

The minister also expressed fear that if the expansion were to be postponed again, unrest would increase in the party cadre. “This is not a good sign in a progressive state and the BJP says it’s a party with a difference,” he said.

He further said that chief minister was waiting for the decision about Republican Party of India president Ramdas Athavale. Once Mr Athavale is inducted into the Union cabinet, the chief minister can take decision whether to give the RPI leader a place in state Cabinet or not.

Meanwhile, a BJP leader from Delhi claimed that there would probably be a short expansion in the Union Cabinet and it would be held on July 5, as there is a ‘no moon’ night on Monday. “Mr Athavale would be inducted but no major changes or reshuffle will take place,” said the Delhi leader.

Mr Fadnavis will be in Delhi on Monday and will probably meet the party president to discuss the Cabinet expansion.