Maharashtra Monsoon Session: Amid the ongoing political storm in Maharashtra, the Monsoon Session of the state legislature will commence on July and will go on till August 4.
The decision was taken on Friday (July 7) at Assembly's Business Advisory Committee’s meeting. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his Deputy Devendra Fadnavis, new joinees in the Maharashtra government including Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal were present at the meeting.
The Cabinet expansion is unlikely before the session, sources in the BJP said, adding that the allocation of portfolios to the NCP ministers who joined the government on July 2 might happen in the near future.
According to a senior BJP leader, the council of ministers may only comprise Cabinet ministers and not ministers of state.
On the other hand, a leader from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena said that the expansion is on the cards in a day or two.
“Both BJP and Shiv Sena members will be accommodated,” he said.
The speculations about the growing resentment in the Shinde camp following Ajit Pawar’s induction into the government.
According to sources in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which was split after Ajit Pawar and his supporters broke away, 19 MLAs have given affidavits saying they stand by party founder Sharad Pawar.
“Six MLAs have sent messages asserting that they continue to be in the Sharad Pawar faction,” they added.
Shinde orders to strengthen party organisation
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in a meeting with party MLAs on Wednesday ordered to strengthen the organisation and directed them to work wtih NCP and BJP in the state.
According to reports, there is no resentment among Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MLAs after the inclusion of Ajit Pawar-led NCP in the Maharashtra government.
Speaking about discussions held in the meeting, Maharashtra education minister Uday Samant said that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is not going to resign and rejected all such reports as baseless.
According to Samant, CM Shinde has instructed MLAs to listen to peoples' grievances and set target to get maximum MLAs elected in the next assembly elections. "We are not angry... we have faith in the CM... the decision to bring NCP into the alliance was taken after informing the chief minister," he said.
"Devendra Fadnavis has already made it clear that the upcoming elections will be fought under the leadership of Eknath Shinde only," Samant added.
Leaders of all the three parties will work together to resolve all the difficult aspects... a target has been set to win 45 Lok Sabha seats together in the next year's general elections, he said. The news about CM's resignation is wrong... next elections will be fought under the leadership of CM Shind. He also said that Maharashtra Cabinet expansion will happen soon.
(With PTI inputs)
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